RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Irrigation scheduling for a sandy soil using mobile frequency domain reflectometry with a checkbook method
JF Journal of Soil and Water Conservation
FD Soil and Water Conservation Society
SP 97
OP 100
VO 56
IS 2
A1 C.A.M. Laboski
A1 J.A. Lamb
A1 R.H. Dowdy
A1 J.M. Baker
A1 J. Wright
YR 2001
UL http://www.jswconline.org/content/56/2/97.abstract
AB Time domain reflectometry (TDR) has changed the way researchers measure soil water content. A technology similar to TDR, called frequency domain reflectometry (FDR) can now be applied to practical field situations, such as irrigation scheduling. For this study, mobile FDR probes were inserted into the soil vertically and measured soil moisture in the upper 0.6m of soil in two 0.3 m increments. The mobile FDR was used to measure soil moisture in many locations in three crops (corn, soybean, spring wheat) on selected days for two growing seasons. This information was used to update a checkbook method of irrigation scheduling and proved to be easy. Quick, mobile FDR measurements in several locations provided sound estimates of soil moisture throughout a field and allowed for enhanced water use efficiency and reduced leaching potential.