Rainfall measurement are the process of tracking how much water falls from an sky onto a specific area of lands. You must understand rainfall measurement because the amount of rain that falls affect the health of crops and the stability of soil. Rainfall can be beneficial for crops because rainfall provide the moisture that plants needs to grow, but excessive rainfall can be harmful because excessive rainfall cause soil erosion and water runoff.
A person must distinguish between different types of rainfall, such as light rain and heavy rain, because light rain allows the soil to absorb moisture deep while heavy rain often runs off the surface of the soil. Therefore, understanding the intensity of rainfall are necessary for effective land management. There are many different tools that a person can use to perform rainfall measurement.
How to Measure Rainfall
You can use a standard cylindrical gauge, which is a clear tube that allow you to see the water levels, or you can use a wedge gauge, which is a device that allow you to read measurements from the side of the gauge. Some peoples prefer to use digital gauges or tipping bucket gauges because digital gauges and tipping-bucket gauges can automate the rainfall measurement process. Automation allow you to collect data without manual checking, and automation helps you to monitor rainfall while you are perform other tasks.
Regardless of the tool you choose, the purpose of rainfall measurement tools is to remove guesswork from irrigation planning. The environment and the specific crops you grow will dictate how you use rainfall measurement data. For example, a person growing rice will require high volumes of rain because rice is a crop that require significant moisture, but a person growing olives will require less rain because olives are crops that can tolerate drier condition.
Because different plants has different moisture needs, a specific amount of rain may be helpful for one plant but harmful for another plant. You must use rainfall measurement to understand these needs so that you can prepare for periods of drought or periods of heavy floodings. Accuracy in rainfall measurement depend on how you place and maintain your rainfall measurement tools.
You must not place a rainfall measurement gauge too close to a building or a tree because a building or a tree can deflect the wind and the rain away from the gauge. If a building or a tree deflect the rain, the rainfall measurement will be lower then the actual amount of rain that is falling on the land. Additionally, you must keep the funnel of the rainfall measurement gauge clear of leaves and debris because leaves and debris can block the water from enter the gauge.
You must also ensure the gauge is level and that you read the water level at eye level to ensure that the rainfall measurement is precisely. Managing water on your land involve both measuring the rain and retaining the rain. If you experience low rainfall, you can use organic mulching to reduce evaporation so that the soil stays moist for a longer period of time.
If you experience heavy rainfall and heavy runoff, you can use contour bunding or planted swale to slow the movement of the water. Slowing the movement of the water allow the water to sink into the ground instead of racing off the field. Ultimately, rainfall measurement allows you to make informed decision about how to manage your land and how to prepare for future weather pattern.