Soil Moisture Evaporation

Soil moisture evaporation is the process by which water is transformed from a liquid into a vapor and removed from the soil by the forces of the atmosphere. This process is driven by a variety of factors including solar radiation, temperature, wind speed, and humidity.

What is the Best Measure of Soil Moisture?

The best measure of soil moisture is one that is able to accurately represent the amount of water that is available to plants and crops. This is typically measured as a percentage of the soil's weight in water to the weight of the soil.
There are a number of different methods that can be used to measure soil moisture, including:

Gravimetric method: In this method, a soil sample is weighed before and after it is dried. The difference in weight is the amount of water that was present in the soil.
Volumetric method: This method uses a soil moisture probe to measure the amount of water in the soil. The soil moisture probe typically consists of a set of electrodes that are inserted into the soil.
Tensiometer method: This method uses a tensiometer to measure the soil water potential. The tensiometer is a device that consists of a porous cup that is filled with water and a pressure gauge. The pressure gauge is used to measure the water potential in the soil.

The choice of which method to use will depend on the specific needs of the user. The gravimetric method is the most accurate, but it is also the most time-consuming. The volumetric method is less accurate than the gravimetric method, but it is faster and easier to use. The tensiometer method is less accurate than either the gravimetric or volumetric method, but it is less likely to disturb the soil.