Each day, turf managers face the critical task of scheduling irrigation to prevent wilt tomorrow—without over-watering tonight. But this decision depends on estimating how much soil moisture will be lost today, how much irrigation will replenish it, and how tomorrow’s weather will affect ET. GreenKeeper’s Water Resource Tool brings clarity to this uncertainty by combining site-specific data and agronomic models to guide smarter irrigation choices.
Using the Water Resource Tool in GreenKeeper is simple and powerful. Just enter the average irrigation runtime for a program like “Greens” and average soil moisture from this morning, and the model will simulate how soil moisture is expected to change over the next 96 hours. It factors in your irrigation system’s output, local weather conditions, and ET forecast to predict whether your turf will stay above the wilt threshold. With daily updates and clear visual feedback, you can make informed decisions that reduce water waste and keep your playing surfaces performing at their best.
Step-by-Step Guide to Water Prediction
Managing plant available water in the soil is like managing a bank account balance—precipitation and irrigation act as deposits, while evapotranspiration (ET) functions like a withdrawal. To avoid turf stress, turf managers must ensure the soil “account” never drops below the critical balance needed for healthy plant growth.
- Daily Water View
This dashboard summarizes water inputs (irrigation and precipitation) and output (crop-adjusted ET) for each 24-hour period. Click the gear icon to customize your irrigation day—whether you track water use from 7 PM to 7 PM or midnight to midnight. - Measure Average Soil Moisture
Use a handheld moisture probe to collect 10–20 readings from a representative area, such as one green, tee, or baseball infield. Calculate the average to get an accurate snapshot of current soil moisture. - Enter Moisture and Irrigation Data
In the Water Resource Planner, enter your average soil moisture reading along with the previous night’s irrigation runtime. Daily updates improve model precision and allow for more confident irrigation decisions. - Hourly Soil Moisture Forecast
This graph projects soil moisture levels 96 hours into the future. It displays hourly ET (orange), the wilt threshold (red line), and predicted soil moisture (black line) so you can monitor risk in real time. - Plan Ahead with Confidence
Simulate future irrigation runtimes to visualize their impact on soil moisture and predict when wilt may occur. This interactive tool helps answer key questions: Will turf wilt tomorrow? How much water is needed tonight? Should I wait another day?
GreenKeeper Users machine-learning algorythiums to improve the accuracy of its predictions. Learn how daily measurements of soil moisture can rapidly improve the accuacy of the Water Resource Planner at your course: Past Blog – Predict wilt hours before it strikes: Proof of Concept
Build a Healthy Data Collection Habit
Getting started with soil moisture data doesn’t require a major overhaul—just a small shift in your routine. Like building healthy habits to lose weight, small, consistent steps lead to meaningful progress. Begin by measuring the average soil moisture from a representative area, like a putting green, and enter it into GreenKeeper’s Water Resource Tool. You’ll quickly see how even limited data can drive smarter, more efficient irrigation decisions. Make moisture tracking part of your daily routine and watch your water use—and turf performance—improve.