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Soil Water Content Data for The Bushland, Texas Large Weighing Lysimeter Experiments

This dataset contains soil water content data developed from neutron probe readings taken in access tubes in each of the four large, precision weighing lysimeters and in the fields surrounding each lysimeter at the USDA-ARS Conservation and Production Laboratory (CPRL), Soil and Water Management Research Unit (SWMRU), Bushland, Texas (Lat. 35.186714°, Long. -102.094189°, elevation 1170 m above MSL) beginning in 1989. Readings were taken periodically with a field-calibrated neutron probe at depths from 10 cm to 230 cm (maximum of 190 cm depth in the lysimeters) in 20-cm depth increments. Periods between readings were typically one to two weeks, sometimes longer according to experimental design and need for data. Field calibrations in the Pullman soil series were done every few years. Calibrations typically produced a regression equation with RMSE <= 0.01 m3 m-3. Data were used to guide irrigation scheduling to achieve full or deficit irrigation as required by the experimental design. Data may be used to calculate the soil profile water content in mm of water from the surface to the maximum depth of reading. Profile water content differences between reading times in the same access tube are considered the change in soil water storage during the period in question and may be used to compute evapotranspiration (ET) using the soil water balance equation: ET = (change in storage + P + I + F + R, where P is precipitation during the period, I is irrigation during the period, F is soil water flux (drainage) out of the bottom of the soil profile during the period, and R is the sum of runon and runoff during the period. Typically, R is taken as zero because the fields were furrow diked to prevent runon and runoff during most of each growing season.

See the README for descriptions of each data file.

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FieldValue
Tags
NP211
Evapotranspiration
Agroecosystems & Environment Soil
Agroecosystems & Environment Water
Parent Record
The Bushland, Texas Maize for Grain Datasets
Modified
2023-03-13
Release Date
2022-04-13
Frequency
Irregularly
Identifier
abde62a5-854d-4278-9e43-94bca5d4a880
Spatial / Geographical Coverage Area
POLYGON ((-102.09906463948 35.191719970106, -102.07671433134 35.19121493622, -102.07678299485 35.1865853205, -102.07609634934 35.177044674547, -102.09913330298 35.177072738625))
Publisher
Ag Data Commons
Temporal Coverage
January 1, 1989
License
Creative Commons CCZero
Contact Name
Evett, Steven R.
Contact Email
steve.evett@usda.gov
Public Access Level
Public
Program Code
005:040 - Department of Agriculture - National Research
Bureau Code
005:18 - Agricultural Research Service
Extended Metadata: 
FieldValue
Authors
Evett, Steven R. (ORCID)
Marek, Gary W. (ORCID)
Copeland, Karen S. (ORCID)
Howell, Terry A. Sr. (ORCID)
Colaizzi, Paul D. (ORCID)
Brauer, David K. (Scopus Author ID)
Ruthardt, Brice B. (ORCID)
Peer Reviewed
No
Intended Use
These data may be used to initialize, test and calibrate models of crop growth, water use (ET), and yield, and many be used to develop crop coefficients for use with a reference evapotranspiration model to estimate crop water use. Calculation of ET by soil water balance using these data necessarily depends on data on precipitation, irrigation, etc. from related datasets. Values of field ET so calculated may be used to verify that lysimeter ET data were or were not representative of the 4.4 ha fields within which each lysimeter was centered.
Use Limitations
The data pertain to the specific location, soil, climate, cultivar, and agronomic practices described in the data sets. Extrapolation to other climates, soils, cultivars, and practices should be done with care. Individual fields were square and somewhat larger than 210 m in width and length, so care should be used when combining satellite data with these data if satellite image pixels are large. The number of access tubes in the field soil surrounding each lysimeter was typically four in the first 20 years of lysimeter operation (approximately 1989 to 2008) and increased to eight in each field thereafter in order to improve representativity of field ET derived from neutron probe readings.
Equipment or Software Used
Model 503DR Hydroprobe
Funding Sources
Agricultural Research Service
3090-13000-015-00D
Primary Article

Evett, S. R., Marek, G. W., Colaizzi, P. D., Copeland, K. S., & Ruthardt, B. B. (2022). Methods for downhole soil water sensor calibration—Complications of bulk density and water content variations. Vadose Zone Journal, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20235
Related Articles

Tolk, J. A., & Evett, S. R. (2009). Lysimetry versus Neutron Moisture Meter for Evapotranspiration Determination in Four Soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 73(5), 1693-1698. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj2009.0037

AgID: 10113/36064
Method Citation

Clarke Topp, G., & Ferré, P. T. (2018). 3.1 Water Content. In SSSA Book Series (pp. 417-545). Soil Science Society of America. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssabookser5.4.c19

Evett, S. R., Tolk, J. A., & Howell, T. A. (2003). A Depth Control Stand for Improved Accuracy with the Neutron Probe. Vadose Zone Journal, 2(4), 642-649. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2003.6420

AgID: 10113/6719855

Evett, S. R., Schwartz, R. C., Tolk, J. A., & Howell, T. A. (2009). Soil Profile Water Content Determination: Spatiotemporal Variability of Electromagnetic and Neutron Probe Sensors in Access Tubes. Vadose Zone Journal, 8(4), 926-941. https://doi.org/10.2136/vzj2008.0146

AgID: 10113/38964

Evett, S., Marek, G., Schwartz, R., Colaizzi, P., & Brauer, D. (2021). Can Dense, Deep Profiles of Soil Water Sensors Determine Change in Storage as Well as a Weighing Lysimeter or Neutron Probe?. Wiley. https://doi.org/10.1002/essoar.10508596.1

Evett, S.R., L.K. Heng, P. Moutonnet and M.L. Nguyen (eds.). 2008. Field Estimation of Soil Water Content: A Practical Guide to Methods, Instrumentation, and Sensor Technology. 131 pp. IAEA-TCS-30. International Atomic Energy Agency, Vienna, Austria. ISSN 1018–5518. Available at https://www.iaea.org/publications/7801/field-estimation-of-soil-water-co...

Evett, S. R., & Steiner, J. L. (1995). Precision of Neutron Scattering and Capacitance Type Soil Water Content Gauges from Field Calibration. Soil Science Society of America Journal, 59(4), 961-968. https://doi.org/10.2136/sssaj1995.03615995005900040001x

AgID: 10113/1079
Dataset DOI (digital object identifier)
10.15482/USDA.ADC/1526332
Product Type
Dataset
FieldValue
OSTI Identifier
ISO Topic(s)
environment
farming
geoscientificInformation
State or Territory
Texas
National Agricultural Library Thesaurus Term
soil water content
soil water
Texas
lysimeters
data collection
neutron probes
Agricultural Research Service
experimental design
equations
irrigation scheduling
deficit irrigation
soil profiles
water content
reading
soil water storage
evapotranspiration
drainage
runoff
furrows
growing season
agroecosystems
Ag Data Commons Keywords
  • Agroecosystems & Environment
  • Agroecosystems & Environment
  • Weather and Climate
  • Agroecosystems & Environment
  • Water
  • Agroecosystems & Environment
  • Water
  • Evapotranspiration
  • Agroecosystems & Environment
  • Soil

Suggested Citations:

(original article) Evett, S. R., Marek, G. W., Colaizzi, P. D., Copeland, K. S., & Ruthardt, B. B. (2022). Methods for downhole soil water sensor calibration—Complications of bulk density and water content variations. Vadose Zone Journal, 21(6). https://doi.org/10.1002/vzj2.20235

(dataset) Evett, Steven R.; Marek, Gary W.; Copeland, Karen S.; Howell, Terry A. Sr.; Colaizzi, Paul D.; Brauer, David K.; Ruthardt, Brice B. (2022). Soil Water Content Data for The Bushland, Texas Large Weighing Lysimeter Experiments. Ag Data Commons. https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1526332. Accessed 2023-12-10.