Model of soil moistening during wide-row crops drip strip irrigation

Abstract

The study is devoted to modeling the soil moisture zone formation during agricultural crops drip strip irrigation, taking into account the system-dynamic processes of moisture distribution during irrigation and in the inter-irrigation period. The working hypothesis of the study was the assumption that, due to the point method of water supply and the radial subsurface moisture distribution, the replenishment of soil moisture reserves within the boundaries of the humidification zone occurs unevenly and this must be taken into account when developing irrigation techniques for agricultural crops. The model characterizes the moisture distribution in the soil depending on the water supply volume and the transformation of zones with differentiated moisture reserves during the inter-irrigation period established for the crop. The study uses experimental data to check the moisture distribution features in the soil after irrigation and to assess the soil moisture saturation degree by zones of the moisture contour on the date when the need for the next vegetation irrigation was established. The results of the study substantiated the need for the introduction of new parameters characterizing the soil moisture distribution during drip strip irrigation, which must be taken into account for the formation of an optimal soil water regime, focused on the cultivated crop biological needs.