Calculate irrigation water requirement and duration based on soil moisture, crop type, and irrigation efficiency.
Calculate irrigation water requirement and duration based on field area, root zone depth, current and target soil moisture, irrigation method efficiency, and flow rate. Get net water needed, actual water withdrawn, water per hectare, and irrigation time in hours and minutes.
You irrigated your corn field for 4 hours with a 10 m³/hour pump, thinking that was enough. The soil was bone dry at 30 cm depth — you only wetted the top 5 cm. The corn showed drought stress 3 days later, and yield was down 18% at harvest. You needed 12 hours of irrigation, not 4. Always calculate based on root zone depth and moisture deficit, not a fixed time.
Enter your field area in hectares, root zone depth in centimeters, current and target soil moisture percentages, and your irrigation system flow rate in cubic meters per hour. Click calculate to see net water needed, actual water requirement (accounting for efficiency), and irrigation duration.
The irrigation calculator helps you determine how much water your crop needs and how long to run your irrigation system. It calculates based on soil moisture levels, root zone depth, field area, and irrigation system flow rate. Proper irrigation scheduling saves water and improves crop performance.
A: Use a soil moisture meter (tensiometer or capacitance sensor), or the feel method: take a soil sample, squeeze it in your hand — if it forms a ball that doesn't crumble, moisture is adequate; if it crumbles easily, irrigation is needed.
A: Irrigation efficiency is the percentage of applied water that reaches the root zone. Drip irrigation is 85-95% efficient, sprinklers 70-85%, flood irrigation 50-70%. This calculator uses 85% as default for drip/sprinkler systems.
A: Early morning (before 10 AM) is best to minimize evaporation loss. Avoid midday irrigation when evaporation is highest. For systems with low pressure, nighttime irrigation may be necessary but can increase disease risk.