Wetting Front Advance From a Point Source in Sloping Fields

To determine the effects of field slope, emitter discharge, irrigation water volume and soil texture on soil moisture profile and soil surface wetted shape from a point source, field data were collected on three different soil types, three emitter discharges (4, 8, and 12 lph), four slopes (0, 2, 5, and 10%), and five irrigation water volumes (10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 liters) with three replications. The results showed that the surface-wetted area increases as the emitter discharge increases. The surface-wetted area decreased with a corresponding increase in emitter discharge in experimental fields with light-textured soils. In experimental fields with heavy textured soils and slopes greater than 5%, the changes in surface-wetted area due to the emitter discharge increases, were higher compared to slopes of less than 5%. Since, a higher emitter discharge would result in higher surface-wetted area, the results showed that for an equal volume of irrigation water, the soil moisture profile was deeper for lower emitter discharge. In general, the volume of wetted zone was higher for greater emitter discharges. It was found that as the volume of irrigation water increased, the volume of wetted zone would increase correspondingly. This effect is more prominent than that of emitter discharge. In general, the depth of wetting front was lower and the wetted surface area was greater for heavy textured soils as compared to the light textured soils. The wetted-surface area and the shape of wetting front in the direction of slope were affected by the soil infiltration, emitter discharge and volume of irrigation water where these effects were more critical in higher sloping lands.