Start / Water and irrigation / Crop water demand

Water balance and irrigation interval

In how many days the soil reaches stress and how much to irrigate each time.

Pre-sizing and estimating tool: the results do not replace a design, calculation, or report signed by a qualified professional, nor verification against the applicable standards.

Preliminary estimateRevision 12/11/2026
Soil
Demand and rain (period averages)

Effective rain is the part of the rain that infiltrates and stays in the soil. The calculation assumes constant average values; use the daily series to decide the interval.

Data stays only in this browser and is not sent. Uncheck to erase it.

—Days to stress
—

Accumulated deficit until stress

How much soil water has dropped since field capacity, in mm, with the average balance.

Tap the chart to see the values.

Days to stress based on rainfall

How long the soil can last without irrigation, for each level of effective rainfall.

Tap the chart to see the values.

What if the data changes?

Drag the controls to simulate data different from what you entered (from 30% less to 30% more) and watch the result change instantly.

Tap the chart to see the values.

Days to stress: ET₀ and effective rain

How many days the readily available water in your soil lasts for combinations of ET₀ and effective rainfall, with the Kc and soil you entered.

Step by step with your numbers

The calculation done in steps, with the values you entered.

    The calculation memo gathers this page's inputs, results, equations, assumptions, and references, with fields for project, responsible person, and review. The full report also includes the charts and interpretations, in color. In the print window, choose Save as PDF.

    How to use

    Enter the soil data, the ET₀ and Kc of the current phase, and the average effective rain. The calculator estimates how many days the readily available water lasts and the gross depth of each irrigation.

    Hypothetical example

    CC of 30%, PMP of 12%, roots at 60 cm, p of 0,5, ET₀ of 5.0 mm/day, Kc of 1,0, effective rain of 1.0 mm/day and efficiency of 85%.

    AD = (30 − 12) ÷ 100 × 600 = 108 mm; AFD = 0.5 × 108 = 54 mm. Balance = 1.0 × 5.0 − 1.0 = 4.0 mm/day.

    Days to stress = 54 ÷ 4.0 = 13.5 days. Depth per irrigation = 54 ÷ 0.85 = 63.5 mm gross.

    Precautions

    • The result uses constant averages; on hot, dry days, stress comes sooner.
    • Check the effective rain in your region: heavy rains with runoff do not fully enter the soil.
    • For the ETc calculation by stage, use the crop evapotranspiration.

    Method, assumptions, and references

    Equations used

    AD (mm) = (CC − PMP) ÷ 100 × Z × 10
    Daily balance (mm/day) = Kc × ET₀ − effective rain
    Days to stress = AFD ÷ daily balance, with AFD = p × AD
    Gross depth (mm) = AFD ÷ efficiency

    Assumptions and limits

    • Daily balance constant over the period; in practice it varies with the rain and the demand of each day.
    • Soil starts at field capacity and is not irrigated before the stress point.
    • Effective rain is the portion that infiltrates; runoff and deep drainage are not considered.

    Standards and technical documents

    • Reichardt, K.; Timm, L. C. Solo, planta e atmosfera: conceitos, processos e aplicações. 2nd ed. Barueri: Manole, 2012.
    • Allen, R. G. et al. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper 56. Rome: FAO, 1998.

    Frequently asked questions

    When should I irrigate?

    When the deficit reaches the readily available water (AFD). Before that, the plant normally does not lose yield from lack of water.

    Why doesn't the field match the calculation?

    Because rainfall is irregular and the balance uses averages. To decide the irrigation interval, use the daily balance with data from the nearest weather station.