What Does Cultivation Water Table Mean?
The cultivation water table, often shortened to simply 'water table' generally refers to the area of the soil or grow medium beneath the ground or within a container that becomes saturated with water during irrigation.
The cultivation water table refers to the line between where the soil is overly saturated and the line where the soil is not sodden with water.
The cultivation water table is important to consider, since most types of plants require their roots to have a soil/air zone where they can thrive without suffering prolonged water-logging.
Maximum Yield Explains Cultivation Water Table
Growers can utilize the cultivation water table in a controlled setting as a form of irrigation. This irrigation method is commonly referred to as a sub-irrigation system. Sub-irrigation has become a common way to grow greenhouse plants such as poinsettias, tomatoes, and chrysanthemums.
Growers who use the cultivation water table as a way to irrigate their crops sustain no water runoff or waste. Here's how it works: the soil in the plant’s container above the cultivation water table remains porous and continues to supply adequate oxygen to the plant’s root system. To achieve this, a capillary mat on a bench is placed below the plant’s container. The mat remains continuously saturated with water and nutrients.
The plant’s roots thrive in the porous growing medium in the container sitting on the capillary mat. The roots of the plant draw up the necessary water and nutrients they require from beneath the cultivation water table where the saturated capillary mat is located.
This type of sub-irrigation system guarantees that essential water and nutrients are always flowing upward to the plant’s roots and the plant never suffers from drought. However, the plant’s roots are also never exposed to excessive water saturation.
