Want a practical, soil-based way to help decide when to irrigate and how much to apply—without the guesswork? The Irrigation Services team at Agriculture Victoria has published three factsheets that when used as a series, will help irrigators to:  

• Estimate how much water their soil can store and make available to plants. 

• Connect soil information to irrigation decisions (timing and depth). 

• Utilise a field method to estimate soil texture. 

The three fact sheets cover:

1) Determining soil texture using ribboning
A step-by-step guide to estimating soil texture in the field (sand/silt/clay balance). This is a useful input for understanding water-holding capacity and refining irrigation planning. 

2) Determining readily available water (RAW)
Explains RAW and outlines how to determine it from your soil profile so you can meet crop water requirements while also avoiding over-watering. 

3) Using readily available water to help schedule irrigation
Shows how to use RAW alongside crop water use and your system’s application rate to build a practical irrigation schedule. 

Pick one paddock/block and use the three factsheets to estimate your soil texture and RAW, then compare the results with what you currently do. 

Even a quick check can highlight opportunities to improve efficiency and reduce stress risk.

Get in touch with your region’s Irrigation Extension Officers for further support at [email protected].