This is an early access version, the complete PDF, HTML, and XML versions will be available soon.
Open AccessArticle
Modelling Soil Moisture Content with Hydrus 2D in a Conti-Nental Climate for Effective Maize Irrigation Planning
by
Nxumalo Gift Siphiwe
Nxumalo Gift Siphiwe ,
Tamás Magyar
Tamás Magyar *,
János Tamás
János Tamás and
Attila Nagy
Attila Nagy
Institute of Water and Environmental Management, Faculty of Agricultural and Food Sciences and Environmental Management, University of Debrecen, 138 Böszörményi Str., 4032 Debrecen, Hungary
*
Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Agriculture 2024, 14(8), 1340; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081340 (registering DOI)
Submission received: 26 June 2024
/
Revised: 30 July 2024
/
Accepted: 5 August 2024
/
Published: 10 August 2024
Abstract
In light of climate change and limited water resources, optimizing water usage in agriculture is crucial. This study models water productivity to help regional planners address these challenges. We integrate CROPWAT-based reference evapotranspiration (ETo) with Sentinel 2 data to calculate daily evapotranspiration and water needs for maize using soil and climate data from 2021 to 2023. The HYDRUS model predicted volumetric soil moisture content, validated against observed data. A 2D hydrodynamic model within HYDRUS simulated temporal and spatial variations in soil water distribution for maize at a non-irrigated site in Hungary. The model used soil physical properties and crop evapotranspiration rates as inputs, covering crop development stages from planting to harvest. The model showed good performance, with R² values of 0.65 (10 cm) and 0.81 (60 cm) in 2021, 0.51 (10 cm) and 0.50 (60 cm) in 2022, and 0.38 (10 cm) and 0.72 (60 cm) in 2023. RMSE and NRMSE values indicated reliability. The model revealed water deficits and proposed optimal irrigation schedules to maintain soil moisture between 32.2 and 17.51 V/V%. This integrated approach offers a reliable tool for monitoring soil moisture and developing efficient irrigation systems, aiding maize production’s adaptation to climate change.
Share and Cite
MDPI and ACS Style
Siphiwe, N.G.; Magyar, T.; Tamás, J.; Nagy, A.
Modelling Soil Moisture Content with Hydrus 2D in a Conti-Nental Climate for Effective Maize Irrigation Planning. Agriculture 2024, 14, 1340.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081340
AMA Style
Siphiwe NG, Magyar T, Tamás J, Nagy A.
Modelling Soil Moisture Content with Hydrus 2D in a Conti-Nental Climate for Effective Maize Irrigation Planning. Agriculture. 2024; 14(8):1340.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081340
Chicago/Turabian Style
Siphiwe, Nxumalo Gift, Tamás Magyar, János Tamás, and Attila Nagy.
2024. "Modelling Soil Moisture Content with Hydrus 2D in a Conti-Nental Climate for Effective Maize Irrigation Planning" Agriculture 14, no. 8: 1340.
https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture14081340
Note that from the first issue of 2016, this journal uses article numbers instead of page numbers. See further details
here.
Article Metrics
Article Access Statistics
For more information on the journal statistics, click
here.
Multiple requests from the same IP address are counted as one view.