How much water should farmers use?

Farmers, like everyone else, try to use as little water as possible – they have to pay for it, after all.

However, if you don't use enough water it does not reach the roots and is wasted. Also you need to let some water sink deep into the soil so that it flushes away natural substances like salt which would otherwise build up in the soil, and harm the plants.

Use a pot plant and find out how much water needs to be added to cause just a small amount of water to come out of the bottom of the pot. You could add water in tablespoons worth and keep a chart.

Then wait until the soil surface dries out and repeat. Do not add water when the soil surface is still wet as this would be a waste of water and could make the plant rot.