Full Product Manual

What is Xerigation? Page 3
40%
25%
Water Intake:Root Depth:
30%
50%
20%75%
10%
100%
Figure 1-1: Soil moisture extraction by plant root zone
Improved Plant Health
Low-volume irrigation can improve plant health. Figure 1-1 shows that the most
active part of a plant’s root zone is the top half, which absorbs up to 70 percent of
the plant’s water and nutrient intake. You will generally design your system to
deliver 70 percent of the water to the upper half of the root zone and 30 percent
to the lower root zone to encourage deep root development.
Figure 1-2 shows that in conventional irrigation, plants often alternate between
receiving more water than they need and being too dry. With properly managed
low-volume irrigation, the optimum moisture level can be better maintained.
Also, disease control is improved, plants can tolerate higher salinity levels in the
irrigation water, and more uniform application of water to the plant material is
achieved.
Figure 1-2: Wet/dry cycles in conventional and low-volume irrigation
Time
Wet
DryDry
Wet
Conventional Irrigation
Low-Volume Irrigation
Saturation
Optimum Moisture
Level
Field Capacity
Permanent Wilting
Point
Moisture
In summary, properly managed low-volume irrigation uses less water, costs less
to operate, reduces maintenance costs, enhances plant health and advances good
water management practice. And, low-volume irrigation allows the landscape to
survive even in the face of severe water shortages and rationing. We all benefit
from efficient use of our precious natural resources.
®