Why am I Seeing so much Fluctuation in my VIC Graphs?
It is important to
remember that VIC is about long-term trends and not about daily activity. The
VIC is affected by the VWC of the soil, and if you use vertical rulers to
measure it, you will see that there are differences in VWC, which affects the
VIC. When water is added, two things happen.
In the first place,
water washes some ions off the clay particles, so depending on the previous VIC
and the CEC of the soil you may see a short-term increase in VIC as ions
disassociate and go into solution. It is possible to reduce VIC by simply
adding water if there isn't a substantial ion concentration held by clay
particles.
Here is an example to explain this more clearly. By adding
a teaspoon of salt to a half-full glass of water, a known value of VIC can be obtained. If the water
content is doubled by filling the glasswithout adding more salt, the
concentration of ions has decreased by 50% because twice the amount of water
has been added.
The most effective way to view VIC is to find two values on
the sum graph that are close to the same. Drop vertical rulers on both
of those values and observe the changes. These will be accurate readings and
they will be based on trends not the upward and downward movement you see in
the short term.
Related Articles
Scheduling Last Irrigation Guide
How To: Scheduling Your Last Irrigation Water savings can be maximized throughout a growing season by knowing when to schedule your last irrigation. When should I schedule my last irrigation? Irrigations Left = (WN -ra) – (WB – MWB) WN Where: ra = ...
Relationship between EC Graphs and Salinity Readings
Questions about the relationship between EC graphs and salinity readings, and how factors like acids, fertilizers, drip line cleaners, etc., influence these readings, are common. Here, we'll delve deeper into these explanations. Common questions ...
How can I use the sensor data to help me with Nitrogen loss probabilities?
How can I use the sensor data to help me with Nitrogen loss probabilities? a. You may be able to see the N being leached through the soil with the EC graphs. I’ve noticed several fields with course texture soils with significant increase trends in ...