To supply insufficient irrigation to a crop, leading to moisture stress in the soil. While often an accidental result of drought or poor irrigation scheduling, intentional underwatering is sometimes used to induce flowering, deepen root systems, or concentrate sugars in certain fruits.
Heard on the job
The leaves are starting to curl, which usually means we underwatered the greenhouse benches this morning.
Insider tip
Chronic underwatering forces plants to prioritize survival over fruit production, often resulting in dropped blossoms or stunted yields.