New insights into irrigation management

摘要

Pacific Northwest potato and sugar beet farmers who irrigate their crops wdth sprinklers need to know a lot more than when to turn on the faucet. The region's powdery silt loam soils don't contain much stabilizing organic matter, and existing soil aggregates that facilitate water infiltration can be broken up during irrigation. Afterwards, the loose particles of sand, silt, and clay that remain can dry to form a solid crust that greatly limits infiltration into the soil.