This two-part presentation will help consultants, growers, and other practitioners in the irrigated regions of the United States. The presentation discusses some basic soil water terminology and how to use soil water-monitoring equipment to determine how much water the crop has removed from the soil. Using Watermark soil water sensors as an example, procedures for how to prepare the soil water sensor and how to install them in the field are presented in Part 1 of the presentation. Part 2 of the presentation discusses how to use a modified atmometer to verify that soil water sensors are responding in the correct way. Lastly, several water conservation practices are discussed including crop residue management, planting a shorter season hybrid and reducing the plant population. By the end of the presentation, the viewer will have the necessary information to initiate an irrigation scheduling program and where to find additional information.
