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Analysis of Water Flow under Trickle Irrigation: II. Experimental Evaluation

Station de Science du Sol, INRA, Domaine St-Paul, B.P. 91, 84140 Montfavet, France

M. Th. van Genuchten^*

USDA-ARS, U.S. Salinity Lab., 4500 Glenwood Drive, Riverside, CA 92501

*Corresponding author.

ABSTRACT

A numerical solution for predicting soil water content distributions during trickle irrigation on stratified and anisotropic soils was compared with data from a field experiment carried out on a loamy clay soil using 24 field plots irrigated at different rates and frequencies. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity was estimated from measured soil water retention and saturated hydraulic conductivities. Observed volumetric soil water contents and saturated areas on the soil surface were compared with model predictions. The effects of anisotropy and soil surface crusting on experimental and calculated soil water distributions were also investigated. Relatively good agreement was obtained between predicted and measured soil water content distributions vs. depth. The shape of the observed wetted soil volume was also predicted reasonably well. The effects of possible errors in the hydraulic characteristics on calculated water content distributions are discussed.

Received for publication May 2, 1988.