Irrigation and Water Management Flashcards

Irrigation run times should generally be split into shorter 'cycle and soak' cycles for slopes and clay soils to:

Answer: Allow water to infiltrate before runoff occurs

Cycle-and-soak scheduling runs short irrigation cycles with rest intervals, allowing slow-draining soils or slopes time to absorb water between applications and eliminating runoff.

Which factor most directly affects irrigation precipitation rate (how fast water is applied)?

Answer: Nozzle flow rate and spacing

Precipitation rate (inches per hour) is calculated from nozzle flow rate and spacing; mismatched nozzles on the same zone create highly uneven application.

A smart irrigation controller adjusts run times automatically based on:

Answer: Local weather data such as temperature, wind, and ET

Smart (weather-based or ET) controllers use local climate data to calculate actual plant water needs and adjust schedules daily without manual changes.

Over-irrigation of landscape plants most commonly leads to which root problem?

Answer: Anaerobic conditions promoting root rot pathogens

Waterlogged soils become oxygen-depleted (anaerobic), promoting Phytophthora, Pythium, and other water mold pathogens that cause root rot.

What is the primary advantage of using reclaimed (recycled) water for landscape irrigation in the US?

Answer: Conservation of potable drinking water supplies

Reclaimed water is treated wastewater that would otherwise be discharged; using it for irrigation reduces demand on potable water supplies and can supplement plant nutrients.

Hydraulic zoning in irrigation design groups plants together based on:

Answer: Similar water requirements (hydrozones)

Hydrozoning groups plants with similar water needs on the same irrigation zone so water can be applied efficiently without over- or under-irrigating any plant.