Summary

Explains irrigation water management using a fuel-tank analogy: soil stores a limited “tank” of water, crops use it over time, and overfilling wastes water through runoff and leaching. Introduces managed depletion irrigation, keeping the soil partially “filled” so there’s room to capture rainfall in humid Tennessee. Describes tools to plan and adjust irrigation, including historical crop water use and rainfall, weather-based water balances, soil moisture sensors, and understanding how different irrigation systems apply water.