SME FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions for the Soil Moisture Estimator

I am a county extension agent. How can I use the SME to help the farmers in my county?

Ideally, an extension office would have a catalogue of working crop coefficients and soil attributes for local farms. The farmer would use the SME with these input files, along with irrigation events, to monitor a crop's water usage throughout the growing season.

Presently, we are in the initial stages of exercising the SME in the field and so we ask extension agents to:

- get familiar with the SME tool. Learn how to construct input files and how to use the output files (eg. import into spreadsheets).

- get local rain data and compare with the WRF model rain data. We are interested in compiling wide-scale data for analysis. Sharing comparison data with us would help in model adjustments.

- compile a set of input files of local crop cultivars and associated coefficients. See this link.(not yet active)

- show farmers how to derive soil attributes used in the soil model. See this link.(not yet active)

- ask farmers with soil moisture sensors to use the SME and share their experience. We actively seek the participation of farmer-scientists for feedback.

Assuming a set of working input files, a useful exercise for farmers is to review the past growing season using different irrigation schedules to see how the soil responds. Crops can also be changed to see what their water usage would have been. See the question below.

I am a irrigation specialist at a large farm. How can I use the SME ?

The purpose of the SME is to provide a working estimate of water usage for different crops and soils. This allows for general monitoring of soil moisture and to apply irrigations as needed to avoid plant stress.

Because the SME can be run historically, it is possible for the irrigation specialist to run "what if" scenarios. For example,

- What if the crop was different, how much water would that crop have used in our soil?

- What if I irrigated small amounts more often or large amounts less often? Is there a sweet spot between the two?

- What is the optimal irrigation amount to give available water to roots and not drain excessively beyond the root zone?

The SME, with working parameters, can be used to address and give insight to the above questions.

I am an agricultural professor. How can I participate?

Here are some ways to participate:

- show your students the website tools and indicate that source code is available for review and improvements.

- incorporate the tools into classroom lectures/exercises/labs for critique. We would appreciate feedback on usage.

- suggest projects/studies to students regarding comparison with data (soil moisture, ETo, ETc, precipitation, etc.) from research stations currently covered geographically.

- generate WRF data for areas of interest (sectors). See below.