Using soil survey information to characterize the soil‐water state*

SUMMARY Uses of soil for a wide variety of purposes are largely governed by interactions between soils and climatic conditions. The soil-water state at any given moment depends on the hydraulic properties of the soil horizons, the weather and soil drainage. Emphasis in this presentation is on the manner in which the soil-water state is being characterized in the context of land evaluation. Land evaluation is concerned with the assessment of land performance when used for specified purposes (FAO, 1976). Current and future developments in land evaluation are discussed, emphasizing the particular input of soil survey when using computer simulation models for the soil-water regime. The soil-water regime plays a key role in land evaluation, as it governs the soil-water state at any given time during the year.