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

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Agric. Engineering Dept., Fac. of Agric., Ain Shams Univ., P.O. Box 68, Hadyek Shoubra, 11241, Cairo, Egypt

2 Mathematic and Engineering Physics Dept., Fac. of Engineering, Banha Univ., Egypt

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. 
 

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