soil moisture management on Universal
Quick answer
If your Universal has soil moisture management, the most likely cause is: Soil water is held at different tensions - hygroscopic water is unavailable (>pF 4.5), capillary water is available (pF 2.5-4.5), and gravitational water drains freely.
Start here:
- 1. Water only when soil moisture drops below field capacity
- 2. Use tensiometers or resistance blocks to monitor actual soil water tension
Why Universal gets soil moisture management
Soil water is held at different tensions - hygroscopic water is unavailable (>pF 4.5), capillary water is available (pF 2.5-4.5), and gravitational water drains freely.
Field capacity and wilting point vary by soil texture: sandy soils hold ~10% available water at FC while clay soils hold ~25%, but clay's fine pores create higher suction making water harder for roots to extract. Loam soils offer optimal balance with 15-20% available water holding capacity.
How to reverse soil moisture management on Universal
- 1
Water only when soil moisture drops below field capacity
- 2
Use tensiometers or resistance blocks to monitor actual soil water tension
Keep soil moisture management off this Universal
Match irrigation frequency to soil texture - sandy soils need more frequent watering than clay soils.