Water Management

Course Code: AGRC-0236

Term 2
Learning Outcome #2

Course Instructor: Lord Abbey, PhD; P.Ag

Soil Water Balance & Soil Moisture

Preview

Definition & importance of soil water balance.

Concept of soil water balance. Water movement through the soil. Determination of soil moisture content. Soil moisture conservation.

Definition of Soil Water Balance

O It is an account of the amount of water added to,

subtracted from, and stored within a given volume of soil during a given period of time.

O Water balance is governed by the law of

conservation of matter, which states that:

matter can neither be created nor destroyed but can only change from one state or location to another.

Importance of Soil Water Balance

O Water balance helps to make good decisions

on the following:
O Water conservation.
O Water management.

O Irrigation scheduling.

Concepts
O Proper water management requires:
O Good accounting of water supplies. O Tracking of changes in storage. O Tracking of water destinations. O Proper irrigation scheduling (timing & amount). O Control of runoff. O Minimizing deep percolation. O Uniform application of water.

TAW = total available water RAW = readily available water

O (Inflow Outflow) = Change in storage. O Components of water balance change over...

O Time. O Season. O Crop type.

Limiting Conditions of Water Balance

O Capillary rise (upward flux). O Unconfined water table. O Saturated zone beyond crop root zone.

O Surface runoff. O Large amount of rainfall or irrigation. O High intensity rainfall or irrigation. O Deep percolation. O Watered beyond root zone.

Lab #1 (alternative) O Determine water balance including water capture.

Factors Affecting Water Balance

O Evapotranspiration:
O Crop factor. O Weather factor. O Soil factor. O Management factors.

O Irrigation is required when rainfall is

insufficient to compensate for water lost by evapotranspiration.

O Surface runoff (students to discuss): O Total rainfall or irrigation. O Intensity of rainfall or irrigation. O Soil factors. O Land and watershed management (levees/dykes).

O Deep water percolation or deep drainage

(students to discuss):
O Soil factors. O Cropping pattern & root zone. O Rainfall pattern or irrigation frequency & type. O Topography. O Depth to ground-water level.

O Capillary rise (students to discuss): O Soil type (texture). O Water-table depth. O Irrigation interval. O Soil water dryness (depletion of field capacity). O Evapotranspiration demand. O Salinity of water.

Determination of soil moisture content O Saturation point (flooding). O Field capacity. O Permanent wilting point. O Available water. O Air dry.

Reading, Discussion & Labs

O MB Soil Management Guide (Pgs 42-48). O Discuss in class. O Lab work:
O Discuss basic concepts in class.

O compare soil MC by appearance/feel vrs gravimetric

methods and soil calculations.

Principles of Water Movement Through Soil

O Plant water relations describes how plants

control the hydration of their cells. O This is done by processes such as:
O Water absorption from the soil.

O Water transportation within the plant.

O Water loss by transpiration.

O A drop of 50-60% of the available water

content does not cause stress for most plants. O Early in the growth stage, plant roots may occupy 15-20 cm depth of the top soil. O This is the active root zone. O Moisture must be present in the active root zone in order to be available to the plant.

Crop

Root depth (cm)

Crop

Root depth (cm)

Crop

Root depth (cm)

Cabbage Carrots Lettuce

50-80 Pumpkin 50-100 Squash 30-50 Table beet

100-150 Green beans 60-100 60-100 Artichokes Asparagus

50-70 60-90 120-180

Onion
Tomato Pepper

30-60 Rutabaga
70-150 Potato 50-100 S. potato

50-100
40-60

Mint
Strawberries

40-80
20-30 100-200

100-150 Grapes

Cucumber 70-120 Peas

60-100

Apples

100-200

Plant Response to Soil Moisture Stress

O Soil moisture stress is defined as the drop in

moisture level below field capacity within the root zone. O Water stress could also be caused by waterlog (flooding) conditions. O Moisture in the active root zone should be enough to meet plant evapotranspiration demand. O The active root zone contains 80% of the roots.

Factors that Influence Plant Response to Water Stress

O Frequency of dry & wet periods. O Frequency of flood & dry periods. O Duration of drought or flood period.

O The crop species & cultivar.

O The crop duration.

O The growth stage of the crop at which the stress

was imposed.

Class Discussion
O Give examples of plants that are: O Tolerant to water stress. O Resistance/avoid water stress. O Sensitive to water stress.

Effects of Water Stress on Plant System

O Germination.
O Plant stand & leaf greenness. O Turgidity &/or plant-water relations. O Anthesis initiation & pollination. O Water absorption and nutrient uptake. O Water-use efficiency. O Radiation use efficiency.

O Duration of fruit ripening.

O Unit seed weight.

Creating Drought-Friendly Garden

O Grow your crops before the summer heat

starts. O Plant drought tolerant vegetables. O Double or triple dig your beds. O Add compost to your soil. O Mulch. O Water at night. O Water the right amount.

O Install irrigation on a timer.

O Plant vegetables close together. O Choose plants that produce in abundance. O Try dry farming of, for example, tomato. O Place drainage pipes between crops.

O Harvest rainwater for gardening.

Crop Requirements & Responses to Irrigation

O The water requirement of vegetable plants

ranges from 1560 cm depending on crop species. O Vegetable crops are sensitive to drought during the following two periods:
O 2-3 weeks before harvest. O Harvest.

O Each class of vegetable & growth stage respond

differently.

O Seed germination & seedling establishment:

O Adequate irrigation improves rates of seed

germination, seedling emergence, uniformity & final stand. O For seeded crops, reduce rate of application & total amount of water applied to avoid crust. O Irrigation to meet evapotranspiration demand can increase seedlings survival rate.

O Leaf vegetable, cabbage, lettuce & spinach:

O Shallow-rooted.

O Planted at or near field capacity.

O Frequent irrigation. O Leaf expansion related closely to water availability.

O Head formation is sensitive to drought.

O Excessive water can cause head split.

O Broccoli & cauliflower:

O Response is similar to leave vegetables.
O Sensitive to drought stress at all stages. O Reduce growth.

O Premature heading.

O Root, tuber & bulb vegetables:

O Yield depends on production & translocation of

carbohydrates from leaf to root or bulb. O The swelling or enlargement of storage organs is the most sensitive stage. O Uneven irrigation can cause misshapen or split roots in carrots.

O Fruit & seed vegetables:

O Sensitive at flowering & seed development stages. O Fruit set can be reduced with drought stress.

O Adequate watering during fruit enlargement can

reduce incidences of fruit cracking & blossom-end rot in tomatoes.

O Less water is needed during fruit ripening & seed

maturation.

O ...second growth in potatoes.

O premature bulbing in onions.

Water Conservation
O Definition of water conservation:
O Water conservation is a special way of

efficient water use and minimization of water loss.

O This is important in water-limited

environment.

Water Conservation Strategies

O Reduce evaporation. O Reduce evapotranspiration. O Reduce seepage. O Reduce quality degradation. O Cloud seeding. O Increase groundwater recharge.

O Treat and reusing drainage and waste water.

O Use super absorbent

Reducing evaporation
O From water surfaces:
O Floating objects in small reservoirs.
O Reducing area of water surfaces (deep, small

reservoirs). O Compartmentalization of ponds (water transfer from deep ponds into dry shallow ponds when needed). O Deep ponds (can be lined to reduce seepage loss).

O From crop field:

O Conserve water in the root zone during fallow period. O Control weed control to reduce transpiration losses. O Adopt minimum to zero tillage. O Leave stubble or residue in the field to minimize high

temperatures and wind effect on soil surface.

O Mulch.

O Introduce new crops: O Alter the cropping pattern. O Introduce drought tolerant species or varieties. O Anti-transpirants: O Spray ornamental plants (foliage, lawns & shrubs) with anti-transpirants. O Done on plants that fast growth is not important.

O Surface storage & ground water re-charge: O Surplus water from rain or runoff is stored for later use when needed. O Stored behind dams, in aquifers & tanks.