Is there a problem here? Practical uses for soil moisture sensors on the ranch and farm Julie A. Finzel UCCE Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor Kern,

Is there a problem here?

Practical uses for soil moisture sensors on the ranch and farm

Julie A. FinzelUCCE Livestock and Natural Resources Advisor

Kern, Tulare, and Kings Counties

Background• The problem

• The solution

• What could you do with this sort of information?

Results

Results

2014 PrecipitationDate Inches Total

10/8/2013 0.08 0.0811/22/2013 0.01 0.091/31/2014 0.14 0.232/28/2014 0.58 0.813/1/2014 0.54 1.353/2/2014 0.13 1.483/3/2014 0.01 1.494/2/2014 0.03 1.525/7/2014 0.2 1.725/21/2014 0.28 25/22/2014 0.13 2.135/23/2014 0.22 2.357/16/2014 0.62 2.977/21/2014 0.33 3.3

Results

Comparing Years

2011 2012 2014

Inches Lbs/acre Inches Lbs/acre Inches Lbs/acre

8.0  526  2.93 280 1.72 185

as of 5/31 as of 5/31 as of 5/7

What do we know?• Timing

• Temperature

• Provides objective information for decision making

Precision Irrigation• Two big questions

o When?o How much?

• Measure water potential

• Measure soil moisture

• Benefitso Apply the amount of water needed…no more…no less ($ saved)o 5 – 10% Increase in production ($ earned)

Soil Moisture Sensors

What could you do with this ‘tool’ in your toolbox?

UC Web Resources• UCCE Livestock and Natural Resources Webpage

o http://ucanr.edu/sites/UCCE_LR/

• Rangeland Watershed Research Laboratoryo http://rangelandwatersheds.ucdavis.edu/

• California Rangelands Webpageo http://californiarangeland.ucdavis.edu/

• Julie’s webpageo http://cekern.ucanr.edu/Livestock/

Weather Resources• NRCS SCAN site

o http://www.wcc.nrcs.usda.gov/scan/

• Bishop Airport NOAA Siteo http://www.wrh.noaa.gov/mesowest/getobext.php?wfo=

vef&sid=KBIH&num=72&raw=0

Thank You for Your Time!