Abstract
Clarifying soil water‐related parameters during irrigation could help optimise system design and strategies widely applied in agriculture. However, the field water migration patterns of Gynostemma longipes , a medicinal plant preferring humid environments, have not yet been reported. Therefore, we studied the dynamic changes in soil water migration characteristics, soil water potential and environmental factors of multiple irrigation events in G. longipes plantations. Nonlinear regression models described the temporal dynamics of soil water migration distance and soil water potential with excellent fit ( R 2 > 0.94). At irrigation cessation, horizontal and vertical migration distances reached 15 cm and 24 cm, respectively, remaining stable across different events. Using easily measurable horizontal migration distances, we developed and validated a linear regression model to simulate soil water potential, which was highly effective during the irrigation phase ( R 2 > 0.92) and maintained predictive capability after irrigation ceased. We also successfully predicted the variation pattern of soil water potential under different dripper flow rates ( R 2 > 0.68). In summary, our findings enrich the theoretical understanding of soil water migration patterns and provide new approaches for obtaining soil water potential under field conditions.