Water stored near the soil surface is exposed to continuous evaporation driven by solar radiation, wind, air temperature and relative humidity.
Evaporation may remove a considerable fraction of irrigation water before it becomes available to plants, particularly in hot and arid climates.
Unlike plant transpiration, which contributes directly to plant physiology, surface evaporation generally represents a non-productive loss.
Engineering strategies capable of reducing unnecessary evaporation may therefore improve overall irrigation efficiency without increasing water consumption.
Radixora considers evaporation management as one component of the broader hydraulic optimisation strategy.