An ecologist installed an extensive soil moisture sensor network to study the effect of slope orientation on plant available water. He collected reams of soil moisture data, but ultimately he was frustrated because he couldn’t tell how much of the water was available to plants.
He’s not alone in his frustration. Accurate, inexpensive soil moisture sensors have made soil moisture a justifiably popular measurement, but as many people have discovered, a good hammer doesn’t make every soil water problem a nail. Water content can only show how much water there is. Hydraulic conductivity shows how fast water can move. But water potential shows whether it will move and where it’s going to go.
Click on the links below for a comprehensive look at the science behind water potential measurement.
Or want it all in one convenient place?
Download the “Researcher’s complete guide to water potential”—>
Questions? Talk to an expert—>
In this webinar, Dr. Doug Cobos differentiates water potential from water content, discusses the theory, application, and key components of water potential: matric potential, osmotic potential, gravitational potential, and pressure potential.
Six short videos teach you everything you need to know about soil water content and soil water potential—and why you should measure them together. Plus, master the basics of soil hydraulic conductivity.
Download The complete guide to irrigation management—>
The following webinars cover water potential instrument theory, including the challenges of measuring water potential and how to choose and use various water potential instruments.
Water potential 101: what it is, why you need it, how to use it—>
Water potential 201: choosing the right instrument—>
Water potential 301: how to push your instruments past their specifications—>
Water potential 401: advances in field water potential—>
Soil moisture 101: Learn the difference between water potential and soil moisture—>
Soil moisture 102: choosing the right field water potential sensor—>
Soil moisture 201: soil moisture release curves—revealed—>
Our scientists have decades of experience helping researchers and growers measure the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum.