| Irrigas is a water tension measuring system made out of a porous cup (sensor), connected to a gas pressurizing/measuring device by a flexible tube. Water tension (T) is obtained from the equation T=Td-p or T=Ts-p, where Td is the sensor desorption critical water tension (bubbling beginning), Ts is the sensor sorption critical water tension (bubbling ceasing) and p is the applied gas pressure. Differently from conventional tensiometers, the irrigas porous cup cavity is filled with air. This characteristics makes the irrigas system nearly maintenance free and also eliminates the need of making hydrostatic pressure corrections for sensor depth. The system was tested both in the desorption and sorption modes. In the first case the Richards pressure chamber was... |
