Brookvale Oval Investigation - Warringah Council - NSW Government

4: IRRIGATION
4.1. Overview
In order to determine the watering requirement of the playing fields, the soil texture,
structure and turf species should be examined.
Efficient water management incorporates a number of major components including
• Soil
• Readily available water (RAW)
• Infiltration rate
• Effective plant root depth
• Plant Species
The system must be responsive to the individuality of each component and its
respective influence on the outcome.
An outline of these components is presented in points 4.1.1 to 4.1.5.
4.1.1. Soil
The soil texture and structure are an integral part in developing an irrigation schedule
as the soil and the plant effective root zone determine the amount of water that can
be stored around their roots.
To establish the soil conditions at the ground a soil core sample should be taken in a
representative location to establish the texture and depth of each of the horizons
within the soil and to measure the root depth.
Different soil profiles can store different amounts of water and as such it is important
to determine the readily available water (RAW) in the soil so that irrigation can occur
when required and irrigation scheduling can be carried out with confidence. If the soil
type on the playing field is uniform the same irrigation schedule can be applied
across the whole playing surface.
● Irrigation Management Pty Ltd – ABN 92 116 740 160 ●
● Unit 9, 8 Millennium Court, Silverwater, NSW 2128 ●
● Phone: 02 9748 6178 ● Fax: 02 9748 6179 ●
● Web: www.irrigationmanagement.com.au
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