Flash drought is generally understood to be the rapid onset or intensification of relatively short-term agricultural drought. It occurs because of lower-than-normal rates of precipitation accompanied by abnormally high temperatures, winds and solar radiation. Together, these changes increase evapotranspiration and rapidly lower soil moisture. In sandy soils with low water-holding capacity, flash drought may quickly result in crop water stress and, depending on crop growth stage, significant yield losses to rainfed crops. The U.S. Drought Monitor (droughtmonitor.unl.edu), which is often used to justify federal assistance for crop damage resulting from drought, may not always identify localized flash droughts.
Soil moisture sensors are a valuable tool that can be utilized to schedule irrigation.
For growers, integrating new systems, technologies, tools and strategies into an existing irrigation management plan presents several risks and challenges.
One of the top priorities of an irrigation manager is to ensure that their irrigation system applies a uniform depth of water across the irrigated area.
