Ir. M.J. (Martine) van der Ploeg: "Polymer tensiometers to characterize unsaturated zone processes in dry soils"

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19 Dec 2008 16:00
Unit: Wageningen University
Location: Aula, building 362, Gen. Foulkesweg 1, Wageningen
Organisation: Wageningen University
Promotor: Prof.dr.ir. R.A. Feddes
Co Promotor: Dr.ir. G.H. de Rooij

 Climate change may cause the weather to be wetter or drier. Especially when yields are dependent upon irrigation, droughts can hit hard. Increasing the irrigation supply is not always an option as groundwater reserves decrease rapidly (for example in the USA).Instead irrigation needs to be applied sensibly, by shifting the focus from maximum land production to maximum water production (more crops per drop). An instrument called polymer tensiometer was developed that can measure over the entire dryness range in which plants can take up water. We observed that maize can take up water even in dry soil, but shifts the water uptake to wetter parts of the soil at a particular moment, unexpectedly depending on soil properties.  Such knowledge can help us in the future to accurately manage the amount of irrigation and save water.
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