[Objective] The spatial distribution and reasonable sampling of soil moisture content in potato field were studied, in order to provide scientific proof for precision irrigation system under the condition of large sprinkler irrigation.[Methods] A total of 116 sample points was selected in a 34 hm² farmland by the combination of fixed and random sampling. The soil moisture content of 0-20 cm and 20-40 cm depth was measured respectively. The traditional statistics combined with geostatistics were used to analyze the characteristic of the spatial distribution of soil moisture content and the reasonable sampling number.[Results] The soil water content at 0-20 cm depth before and after irrigation ranged from 7.61% to 13.79%, the soil water content at 20-40 cm depth before and after irrigation was ranged from 8.71% to 16.12%. The overall variation coefficient of soil moisture content was 16.47%~28.55%, showing a moderate variability, and the variation of soil water content at 20-40 cm depth was slightly higher than that of the surface layer. The soil moisture content of potato at different times in successive two years showed a moderate spatial correlation, and the spatial variation of soil moisture content was influenced by random factors and structural factors. The distribution of soil moisture in the field was patchy, and soil mositure in the late irrigation period was more disordered than that before irrigation. According to geostatistics, the number of reasonable sampling in the field was 87.[Conclusion] Under the condition of large-scale sprinkler irrigation, the soil moisture content of potato field shows a moderate variability, and both geostatistics and traditional statistics methods are suitable for determining the optimal sampling number of soil moisture content in the potato field.