Abstract
The components of the water balance (infiltration, deep percolation, evaporation from the soil surface, etc.) determine the amount of water available to the crop. Water flow in the soil occurs following the gradient of water potential and can be analyzed by the Richards equation, but there are simpler alternative methodologies to quantify the water balance components. Deep percolation can be estimated based on soil properties and water content above Field Capacity, depending also on soil evaporation and transpiration. Runoff is calculated based on the Curve Number and the amount of precipitation. For monthly values, effective rainfall can be calculated by the methods of FAO and SCS.
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Villalobos, F.J., Mateos, L., Orgaz, F., Fereres, E. (2016). The Water Budget. In: Villalobos, F., Fereres, E. (eds) Principles of Agronomy for Sustainable Agriculture. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46116-8_8
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-46116-8_8
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