AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices
AquaCrop is a well-known water-oriented crop model. The model has been often used to simulate various crops and the water balance in the field under different irrigation treatments, but studies that relate AquaCrop to fertilization are rare. In this study, the ability of this model to simulate yield...
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| Format: | Article |
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MDPI AG
2022-03-01
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| Series: | Hydrology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/9/4/56 |
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| author | Nicholas Dercas Nicolas R. Dalezios Stamatis Stamatiadis Eleftherios Evangelou Antonios Glampedakis Georgios Mantonanakis Nicholaos Tserlikakis |
| author_facet | Nicholas Dercas Nicolas R. Dalezios Stamatis Stamatiadis Eleftherios Evangelou Antonios Glampedakis Georgios Mantonanakis Nicholaos Tserlikakis |
| author_sort | Nicholas Dercas |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | AquaCrop is a well-known water-oriented crop model. The model has been often used to simulate various crops and the water balance in the field under different irrigation treatments, but studies that relate AquaCrop to fertilization are rare. In this study, the ability of this model to simulate yield and the water balance parameters was investigated in a wheat field under different nitrogen management practices. During the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 growing seasons, meteorological data were provided from a nearby meteorological station, and the evolution of soil water content and final yields were recorded. The model showed a very good performance at simulating the soil water content evolution in the root zone. Notwithstanding its simplicity, AquaCrop based on a semi-quantitative approach for fertility performed well at the field level for the final yield estimation under different nitrogen treatments and field topography variation. Although the correlation coefficient between simulated and measured final yields was high, increased values of variations were observed in the various zones of this experimental field (−50% to +140%). The model appears to be an efficient tool for evaluating and improving the management practices at the field level. The experiments were conducted in Thessaly, which is the largest plain and the main agricultural area of Greece. Thessaly, however, has a strong negative water balance, which has led to a strong decrease in the level of the aquifer and, at the same time, to sea intrusion. There is also a significant risk of contamination of the groundwater aquifer due to increased use of agrochemicals. This analysis is particularly important for Thessaly due to the need for improvement of agricultural practices in this area, to decrease the pressure of agricultural activities on natural resources (soil, water) and reverse the consequences of current management. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:35:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-be21126817464e8a95547fd51bf12eee |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2306-5338 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T13:35:23Z |
| publishDate | 2022-03-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Hydrology |
| spelling | doaj.art-be21126817464e8a95547fd51bf12eee2023-11-30T21:13:13ZengMDPI AGHydrology2306-53382022-03-01945610.3390/hydrology9040056AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management PracticesNicholas Dercas0Nicolas R. Dalezios1Stamatis Stamatiadis2Eleftherios Evangelou3Antonios Glampedakis4Georgios Mantonanakis5Nicholaos Tserlikakis6Laboratory of Agricultural Hydraulics, Department of Natural Resources Development and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Hydrology and Aquatic Systems Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Thessaly, 38334 Volos, GreeceGoulandris Natural History Museum, Soil Ecology and Biotechnology Laboratory, 13 Levidou Str., 14562 Kifissia, GreeceInstitute of Industrial and Forage Crops, Hellenic Agricultural Organization “Demeter”, 1 Theophrastos Str., 41335 Larisa, GreeceRed Coast International, Sergey Rumyantsev Str., 2700 Blagoevgrad, BulgariaLaboratory of Agricultural Hydraulics, Department of Natural Resources Development and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, GreeceLaboratory of Agricultural Hydraulics, Department of Natural Resources Development and Agricultural Engineering, Faculty of Environment and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, GreeceAquaCrop is a well-known water-oriented crop model. The model has been often used to simulate various crops and the water balance in the field under different irrigation treatments, but studies that relate AquaCrop to fertilization are rare. In this study, the ability of this model to simulate yield and the water balance parameters was investigated in a wheat field under different nitrogen management practices. During the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 growing seasons, meteorological data were provided from a nearby meteorological station, and the evolution of soil water content and final yields were recorded. The model showed a very good performance at simulating the soil water content evolution in the root zone. Notwithstanding its simplicity, AquaCrop based on a semi-quantitative approach for fertility performed well at the field level for the final yield estimation under different nitrogen treatments and field topography variation. Although the correlation coefficient between simulated and measured final yields was high, increased values of variations were observed in the various zones of this experimental field (−50% to +140%). The model appears to be an efficient tool for evaluating and improving the management practices at the field level. The experiments were conducted in Thessaly, which is the largest plain and the main agricultural area of Greece. Thessaly, however, has a strong negative water balance, which has led to a strong decrease in the level of the aquifer and, at the same time, to sea intrusion. There is also a significant risk of contamination of the groundwater aquifer due to increased use of agrochemicals. This analysis is particularly important for Thessaly due to the need for improvement of agricultural practices in this area, to decrease the pressure of agricultural activities on natural resources (soil, water) and reverse the consequences of current management.https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/9/4/56wheatnitrogen managementAquaCrop model |
| spellingShingle | Nicholas Dercas Nicolas R. Dalezios Stamatis Stamatiadis Eleftherios Evangelou Antonios Glampedakis Georgios Mantonanakis Nicholaos Tserlikakis AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices Hydrology wheat nitrogen management AquaCrop model |
| title | AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices |
| title_full | AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices |
| title_fullStr | AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices |
| title_full_unstemmed | AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices |
| title_short | AquaCrop Simulation of Winter Wheat under Different N Management Practices |
| title_sort | aquacrop simulation of winter wheat under different n management practices |
| topic | wheat nitrogen management AquaCrop model |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5338/9/4/56 |
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