MATHEMATICAL MODEL TO PREDICT THE DISTRIBUTION OF SOIL MOISTURE IN THE ROOT ZONE OF TURF LANDSCAPE

Abstract

Field experiment was carried out on one of the turf (lawn) , category (Passpalm 10) to study the effect of irrigation systems on soil moisture distribution in the root zone. Experimental plot area was (4.5*4.5 ), soil media used was sandy soil and three treatments (spray, sub surface drib irrigation (SDI) , hydrogel) irrigation and every treatment replicated three times . Results of this research could be summarized as follows:  Annual water consumption was less by 77.3%, 71.3% when using hydrogel material, compared with other irrigation systems (spray, and SDI) resp. , this is due to the quantity of loss water from evaporation in spray irrigation treatment , where evaporation parameters are more effective than the others (SDI, hydrogel) irrigation treatments.  The hydrogel treatment has highest water saving by 170% ,300% compared with (SDI and spray) irrigation treatments , because the hydrogel's ability to hold water and has a large period between irrigation when using hydrogel in the soil .  The SDI treatment has highest electrical saving by 520% ,55% compared with (spray and hydrogel ) irrigation treatments resp.  The turf quality index (color, density, ground cover ) give high degree at hydrogel treatment compared with others, this is due to the hydrogel has many materials , both nat urally occurring and synthetic and ability of water saving around root zone of turf .  The average of soil moisture contents at (10cm and 15cm) depth of soil under hydrogel treatment was highest compared with (Spray and SDI) irrigation systems resp.

Keywords

• irrigation
• spray
• hydrogel
• sub surface drip irrigation
• turf
• distribution of soil moisture