Optimal tensiometer placement for high-frequency subsurface drip irrigation management in heterogeneous soils

Efficient control of irrigation systems depends on attaining representative water status data for an irrigated field. The spatial variability of soil hydraulic properties and root growth patterns, hamper the use of single-value representations. This work proposes a two-pronged approach designed for determining optimal sensor location for irrigation water management. It combines experimental results, which offer a method of pre-determining root growth patterns, with modeling analysis in which the effect of tensiometer location on coefficient of variation (CV) of matric head measurements and irrigation system operation was investigated.