ABSTRACT
There are three methods for matching irrigation with crop water requirements. The first is to measure how much water the soil contains. The second is to monitor some attribute of the plant that is related to water deficits. The third is to calculate how much water the atmosphere can extract from a well-watered crop. This article is about the first method, irrigation management by soil water status. Successful irrigation by this method requires more than just the ability to measure soil water status. We need to know how to relate measurements of soil water status to the amount and timing of irrigation, and how this ultimately affects crop yield.
