Maintaining soil moisture at optimum levels can significantly increase crop yields and profits by: •maximising nutrient and mineral availability •ensuring fertilisers are not flushed from the root zone •reducing disease susceptibility •increasing oxygen levels in the soil •improving soil structure •minimising the effects of moisture stress •maximising fruit size and quality.
An instrument such as the Soilspec Tensiometer gives a direct indication of water availability (i.e. how difficult it is for the crop to draw moisture from the soil). The combination of an accurate soil moisture measurement tool and a good irrigation strategy will allow for more informed decisions to be made.
For contact details, see Tree Fruit May 2017
