SOIL MOISTURE
Going DEEP
Utilize soil moisture sensors to maintain optimal levels during the production season.
S 16 Irrigation TODAY | Winter 2023
By Wesley Porter, PhD
oil moisture sensors are a valuable tool that can be utilized to schedule irrigation. Sometimes it can be difficult to determine how to make decisions from sensor data on when and how much irrigation a crop requires.
These factors are determined by soil type, crop growth stage, irrigation capabilities and current environmental conditions. In a study from 2022, a corn trial was planted in a Lucy loamy sand soil and sensors were integrated into one probe at 8, 16 and 24 inches deep. The main focus of this trial was to utilize sensors to aid in determining both yield and economic penalties for over- and under-irrigating corn during the production season. While yield data were not available for this article, the main focus here is on in- season soil water tension and the implications of varying soil water tension levels. This study is being conducted at the University of Georgia’s Stripling Irrigation Research Park, near Camilla, Georgia. Nine methods were implemented under a variable rate lateral irrigation system. They included 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 and 70 kilopascals of soil water tension (SWT), the SmartIrrigation Corn App, UGA checkbook method and nonirrigated.
During the middle of the corn production season in Georgia in 2022, it became very hot and dry. Corn is typically planted during the middle to end of May in Georgia and reaches peak water use during May to June. Thus, hot and dry conditions during this time period show up very rapidly in soil moisture data and irrigation requirements. It should be noted that the data shared here ranges from May 2 to Aug. 3. The corn was planted on March 29, and
irrigationtoday.org
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