Water Management in Horticultural Crops

Moisture extraction pattern

• For most plants, concentration of absorbing roots is greatest in upper part of the root zone and near the base of plants.
  
• Extraction of water is most rapid in the zone of greatest root concentration and under favorable environmental conditions
• Usual moisture extraction pattern show that about 40 per cent of the extracted moisture comes from upper quarter of the root zone, 30 per cent from second quarter, 20 per cent from third quarter and 10 per cent from fourth bottom quarter.
  
• This general pattern of extraction slightly varies with irrigation frequency.
  
• With higher the frequency of irrigation, the moisture extraction is greater from first quarter of the root zone than the others.
• Low frequency irrigation leading to depleting soil moisture results in more moisture extraction from lower quarter of the root zone soil depth.