Soil Water Content Data for The Bushland, Texas Alfalfa Experiments

[NOTE - 2022-09-07: this dataset is superseded by an updated version https://doi.org/10.15482/USDA.ADC/1526332 ]

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 (e.g., Evett and Steiner, 1995). 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.

• Resource Title: 1995 Bushland, TX, east alfalfa volumetric soil water content data.

  File Name: 1995_East_Alfalfa_Soil-water.xlsx

  Resource Description: Contains periodic volumetric soil water content data from neutron probe readings in 20-cm depth increments from 10-cm depth to 230-cm depth in access tubes in fields around each of the Bushland, TX, large, precision weighing lysimeters, and to 190-cm depth in each lysimeter. The excel file contains a data dictionary for each tab containing data. There is also a tab named Introduction that lists the authors, equipment used, relevant citations, and explains the other tabs, which contain either data dictionaries, data, geographical coordinates of access tube locations, or data visualization tools. Tab names are unique so that tabs may be saved as individual CSV files.




• Resource Title: 1996 Bushland, TX, east alfalfa volumetric soil water content data.

  File Name: 1996_East_Alfalfa_Soil-water.xlsx

  Resource Description: Contains periodic volumetric soil water content data from neutron probe readings in 20-cm depth increments from 10-cm depth to 230-cm depth in access tubes in fields around each of the Bushland, TX, large, precision weighing lysimeters, and to 190-cm depth in each lysimeter. The excel file contains a data dictionary for each tab containing data. There is also a tab named Introduction that lists the authors, equipment used, relevant citations, and explains the other tabs, which contain either data dictionaries, data, geographical coordinates of access tube locations, or data visualization tools. Tab names are unique so that tabs may be saved as individual CSV files.




• Resource Title: 1997 Bushland, TX, east alfalfa volumetric soil water content data.

  File Name: 1997_East_Alfalfa_Soil-water.xlsx

  Resource Description: Contains periodic volumetric soil water content data from neutron probe readings in 20-cm depth increments from 10-cm depth to 230-cm depth in access tubes in fields around each of the Bushland, TX, large, precision weighing lysimeters, and to 190-cm depth in each lysimeter. The excel file contains a data dictionary for each tab containing data. There is also a tab named Introduction that lists the authors, equipment used, relevant citations, and explains the other tabs, which contain either data dictionaries, data, geographical coordinates of access tube locations, or data visualization tools. Tab names are unique so that tabs may be saved as individual CSV files.




• Resource Title: 1998 Bushland, TX, east alfalfa volumetric soil water content data.

  File Name: 1998_East_Alfalfa_Soil-water.xlsx

  Resource Description: Contains periodic volumetric soil water content data from neutron probe readings in 20-cm depth increments from 10-cm depth to 230-cm depth in access tubes in fields around each of the Bushland, TX, large, precision weighing lysimeters, and to 190-cm depth in each lysimeter. The excel file contains a data dictionary for each tab containing data. There is also a tab named Introduction that lists the authors, equipment used, relevant citations, and explains the other tabs, which contain either data dictionaries, data, geographical coordinates of access tube locations, or data visualization tools. Tab names are unique so that tabs may be saved as individual CSV files.




• Resource Title: 1999 Bushland, TX, east alfalfa volumetric soil water content data.

  File Name: 1999_East_Alfalfa_Soil-water.xlsx

  Resource Description: Contains periodic volumetric soil water content data from neutron probe readings in 20-cm depth increments from 10-cm depth to 230-cm depth in access tubes in fields around each of the Bushland, TX, large, precision weighing lysimeters, and to 190-cm depth in each lysimeter. The excel file contains a data dictionary for each tab containing data. There is also a tab named Introduction that lists the authors, equipment used, relevant citations, and explains the other tabs, which contain either data dictionaries, data, geographical coordinates of access tube locations, or data visualization tools. Tab names are unique so that tabs may be saved as individual CSV files.