Fact Sheets no. Irrigation scheduling is the decision of when and how much water to apply to a field. Its purpose is to maximize irrigation efficiencies by applying the exact amount of water needed to replenish the soil moisture to the desired level.
Irrigation scheduling saves water and energy.
All irrigation scheduling procedures consist of monitoring indicators that determine the need for irrigation. The purpose of irrigation scheduling is to determine the exact amount of water to apply to the field and the exact timing for application. The amount of water applied is determined by using a criterion to determine irrigation need and a strategy to prescribe how much water to apply in any situation. Irrigation Criteria and Irrigation Scheduling Irrigation criteria are the indicators used to determine the need for irrigation. The most common irrigation criteria are soil moisture content and soil moisture tension.