BaseStation 3200 User Manual - Baseline Systems

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Drier WetterI n t r o d u c t i o nSoil Moisture ContentSoil scientists and Agronomists have been studying the plant-water-soil system for over 100years. Early work in irrigation efficiency focused on the estimation of soil moisture based onweather information, plant water requirements, and soil information such as soil texture andslope. With the availability of inexpensive and highly accurate soil moisture sensors, we are ableto take soil moisture based irrigation to a whole new level of efficiency and effectiveness.With soil moisture sensors, your controller can operate like a thermostat for your landscape –applying water when it is needed, and where it is needed.To understand soil moisture based smart irrigation, it is important to understand some industrystandard terms for soil moisture content:SaturationThe soil pores are filled with water and nearly all of theair in the soil has been displaced by water. Gravity willexert force on the water contained in saturated soils,moving it deeper into the ground (if possible). This isknown as “gravitational water”.Field CapacityMaximum AllowedDepletion (MAD)Permanent WiltPointOven DryThe level of soil moisture left in the soil after drainageof the gravitational water. Irrigation to levels abovefield capacity will result in runoff or drainage asgravitational water.Desired soil moisture deficit at the time of irrigation,typically set well above the wilt point.The minimal point of soil moisture where the plant(s)wilt and begin to die off.When soil is dried in an oven, nearly all water isremoved. This moisture content is used to provide areference for measuring saturation, field capacity, andMAD.One key point is that water applied above Field Capacity is generally wasted – it gravitationallymoves down through the soil and becomes unavailable to plants. Excess water will also leechnutrients from the soil into deeper soil layers, reducing the efficiency of fertilizers and soiltreatments.To understand field capacity, it is often useful to think of a sponge. If you dunk a sponge in abucket of water and pull it out, water will gravimetrically drain from the sponge for a period oftime. When this stops, the sponge will still be very wet, but will no longer be dripping. This isroughly equivalent to Field Capacity in soils – water is no longer draining into lower soil layersand is held in the root zone of the plants.Best plant health and plant water efficiency results are gained when soil moisture content ismaintained between Field Capacity and Maximum Allowed Depletion. Studies also show thatappropriately varying the time between irrigation events in order to allow the soil to dry to thechosen depletion point promotes deeper root growth and subsequently more efficiency anddrought tolerance from the plants.Page 8Baseline 3200
I n t r o d u c t i o nWatering StrategiesEach property is unique, and has unique watering requirements. In order to support a broadrange of climate zones, plant types, landscape designs, and landscape usage requirements, theBaseStation 3200 supports a variety of watering strategies.The basic watering strategies supported by the 3200 are shown in the table below. Refer to theprogramming sections for details on how to configure your controller to use these strategies.TimedHistorical ETLower LimitLower LimitAutomaticUpper LimitUpper LimitAutomaticLike all irrigation controllers, the 3200 can be programmed to runzones on specific times and dates. Timed irrigation is the defaultsetting for any zone that has not been associated with a moisturesensor.The BaseStation 3200 allows the days between irrigation to be setaccording to a Historical ET calendar which, unlike typical seasonaladjustments, will promote deeper root growth and healthier plantsthroughout the season. However, Historical ET based watering willnot protect your landscape from unusual weather patterns in anygiven season.Also called Lower Threshold. In this soil moisture based smartwatering strategy, irrigation is suspended or skipped until the soildries to the lower limit, which may be set manually, or set using theautomatic calibration process. This watering strategy naturallywaters deeply and infrequently and promotes deeper root growth inplants. The controller will water for a specified run time each time itis allowed to water. Care should be taken to assure that ½” or moreof water is applied frequently enough to water sufficiently for thehottest period of the season.Lower Limit Automatic waters according to a lower limit strategy,but automatically performs a calibration cycle each month in orderto measure actual soil field capacity. This strategy is particularlyuseful for newly established landscapes where compaction andorganic development of soil can cause field capacity to varysignificantly over time.Also called Upper Threshold. In this soil moisture based smartwatering strategy, irrigation events are scheduled for specific timesand dates, but the total run time is adjusted by the controller tobring soil moisture up and very slightly over field capacity. Thiswatering strategy is particularly useful for landscapes that need tobe at a desired moisture level on a regular schedule, such as sportsfields or heavy use parks. On these types of properties, damage toturf takes place if the soil is either too wet or too dry.Upper Limit Automatic waters according to an upper limit strategy,but automatically performs a calibration cycle each month in orderto measure actual soil field capacity. This strategy is particularlyuseful for newly established landscapes where compaction andorganic development of soil can cause field capacity to varysignificantly over time.Page 9Baseline 3200
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Baseline Inc2700 E Lanark St, Ste 1
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BaseStation 3200 User Manual - Baseline Systems

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