To use this method, one would dig down to the rooting depth of the plant with a shovel or a soil probe and take soil samples from several soil layers. By assessing the feel of each layer, one can determine the amount of water in the soil. The effeciency of your irrigation system can be defined as how much of your water is going to beneficial use divided by how much is wasted or not used. Beneficial use is the amount of water that is required to keep your crops growing optimally or for such things as frost protection and leaching of salts. Non-beneficial uses of water would be surface runoff and deep percolation .
Deep percolation is the movement of water below the root zone of the crop.
When too much water is applied, deep percolation will carry nutrients and water below the rootzone. The downward movement of nutrients with water in the soil is known as leaching . This page created and maintained by WebMaster Last updated April 3, 2001. Please read the OSU Disclaimer .