Paper Title
Moisture Distribution Patterns In Loamy Sand And Sandy Clay Loam Soils Under Drip Irrigation System

Abstract
The characteristics of the soil moisture movement and distribution underneath the drippers are important information for system design and water application planning in drip irrigated crops.The objective of this study was to characterize the moisture distribution pattern in two representative soils of cassava fields (loamy sand and sandy clay loam soils). The drip irrigation system with the emitter discharge rate of 2 L/h wasinstalled in both soilsand water was irrigated for 180 minutes. After the irrigation, the soil moisture content at the depths of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm and the horizontal distance of 10, 20, 30 and 40 cm from the dripper were recorded at every 60 minutes for 360 minutes. The patterns of soil moisture distribution were evaluated from the recorded soil moisture contents. The results showed that, in the loamy sand, the water movement was faster and there was more vertical distribution of the soil moisture than lateral distribution. In sandy clay loam, the water movement was slower and the even distribution of soil moisture in both directions was found. Keywords - Moisture distribution, Loamy sand, Sandy clay loam, Drip irrigation