This publication provides direction on estimating soil moisture by the "feel and appearance" method; taking a some soil and rolling it up in a ball then squeezing it between your thumb and forefinger to form a ribbon and noting how it appears and feels. Compare what you see with photographs and/or charts to estimate percent water available and the inches depleted below field capacity.
Oct 2019 |
Online resource
Photo from Flickr by Stephen Mills, CC BU-NC 2.0. (Cropped from original)
Independent of which system or mix of systems a grower uses, irrigation management can be challenging. An irrigation program must match the changing demands of the crop with the water supplied.
Irrigating pastures can provide livestock with nutrition long into summer. Learn to monitor soil moisture to determine when to irrigate and how much water to apply.
Collection of forage resources, mostly for Coastal Oregon regions. Includes studies on fiber digestibility, phosphoric soil, rations, and cost/benefit of growing and buying locally grown forages.
In cooler weather, such as what Oregon experienced in June 2023, hemp crops are susceptible to root rot. Here's how you can avoid that problem in your crop.