What is a tensiometer? A tensiometer measures soil moisture. I | Agriculture Exams Library

What is a tensiometer?
A tensiometer measures soil moisture. It is an instrument designed to measure the tension or suction that plants' roots must exert to extract water from the soil. This tension is a direct measure of the availability of water to a plant.
Tensiometers may be used in any irrigated crop, however, it is with horticultural crops in particular that they provide a suitable method to aid irrigation decisions. Tensiometers are most useful when a crop's water requirements are high and when any stress due to water shortage is likely to damage crop potential.The measurement of soil moisture with a tensiometer provides a valuable tool to schedule irrigation. Tensiometers are particularly useful to determine when to irrigate after rainfall events and can be used to support a schedule based on estimating crop water use from reference crop evapotranspiration data.