Irrigation volume calculation based on soil wetting pattern in trickle irrigation

Abstract

The application trickle irrigation system is getting more intensive in Indonesia due to its high efficiency in recent time when water becomes increasing scarcely. The objective of this paper was to draw wetting pattern and to calculate the irrigation volume of trickle irrigation. Soil wetting pattern was observed by taking picture and measure the depth and width of water movement. Moisture content was measured using 26 sensors scattered in the observed soil column. Irrigation volume was calculated based on wetting pattern which containing soil moisture information. Soil texture used in this research was sandy clay soil with bulk density, particle density, and porosity were 1.3 gr/cm3, 2.41 gr/cm3, and 15.47% volume-based respectively. Research results showed that 25,56 cm3/minute irrigation discharge produced wetting pattern with dominant horizontal water movement. The 90-minute operation of trickle irrigation provide 3711 cm3 water in soil column.