{"title":"Calibration and validation of the AquaCrop model for wheat grown under full and deficit irrigation with acidic soil management strategies","authors":"Desale Kidane Asmamaw , Kristine Walraevens , Habtamu Assaye , Fenta Nigate , Enyew Adgo , Abera Asefa , Wim M. Cornelis","doi":"10.1016/j.fcr.2025.110160","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><h3>Context</h3><div>Previous studies using the AquaCrop model have shown that deficit irrigation (DI) and soil management independently influence wheat production. However, their combined effects on wheat production remain poorly understood. To address this research gap, a comprehensive study involving field experiments and modeling was conducted to evaluate how the interaction between DI and integrated acidic soil management (IASM) impacts soil water content, canopy cover, biomass, and grain yield.</div></div><div><h3>Objective</h3><div>The aim of this study was to calibrate and validate AquaCrop, allowing to further investigate how the interaction between DI and IASM influences wheat production; and to evaluate the model's performance, with a focus on addressing specific challenges related to the calibration and validation of wheat growth under DI and IASM scenarios.</div></div><div><h3>Methods</h3><div>The accuracy of the AquaCrop model was evaluated for predicting soil water content (SWC), wheat (<em>Triticum aestivum</em> L.) canopy cover (CC), biomass, and grain yield (GY) under DI combined with IASM strategies. Model input data for calibration and validation were obtained from field experiments conducted in the 2018 and 2019 irrigated seasons. These experiments included four irrigation scenarios (full irrigation [100 % crop water requirement, ETc], 80 % ETc, 60 % ETc and 50 % ETc), and five IASM strategies. The SWC was measured before and after irrigation events, while CC and biomass accumulation (BM) were monitored every 15 days post-sowing. Final biomass (FBM) and GY were recorded at harvest. The model was calibrated using 2018 data and validated with 2019 data.</div></div><div><h3>Results</h3><div>The simulated SWC, CC, BM, FBM, and GY results closely matched the field-measured results for all treatments. Statistical analysis revealed a precise agreement between simulated and field-measured values. The coefficients of determination (R²) ranged from 0.83 to 0.99, and the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) ranged from 2.1 % to 9.1 % for SWC. For CC, R² ranged from 0.86 to 0.99 with NRMSE from 1.2 % to 9.8 %; for BM, R² ranged from 0.81 to 0.99 with NRMSE from 1.1 % to 7.8 %; and for GY, R² ranged from 0.87 to 0.99 with NRMSE from 1.4 % to 7.4 %.</div></div><div><h3>Conclusions</h3><div>The model performed well under severe water stress, proving its suitability for predicting wheat productivity. However, challenges were encountered in adjusting soil fertility levels, particularly with the uniform application of mineral fertilizers across all treatments. More iterations were required to match the simulated values with the field-measured values as water and soil fertility stress increased.</div></div><div><h3>Implications or significance</h3><div>Despite these challenges, the AquaCrop model demonstrated strong performance, especially under optimal soil fertility and irrigation conditions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":12143,"journal":{"name":"Field Crops Research","volume":"334 ","pages":"Article 110160"},"PeriodicalIF":6.4000,"publicationDate":"2025-09-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Field Crops Research","FirstCategoryId":"97","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378429025004253","RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"AGRONOMY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Context
Previous studies using the AquaCrop model have shown that deficit irrigation (DI) and soil management independently influence wheat production. However, their combined effects on wheat production remain poorly understood. To address this research gap, a comprehensive study involving field experiments and modeling was conducted to evaluate how the interaction between DI and integrated acidic soil management (IASM) impacts soil water content, canopy cover, biomass, and grain yield.
Objective
The aim of this study was to calibrate and validate AquaCrop, allowing to further investigate how the interaction between DI and IASM influences wheat production; and to evaluate the model's performance, with a focus on addressing specific challenges related to the calibration and validation of wheat growth under DI and IASM scenarios.
Methods
The accuracy of the AquaCrop model was evaluated for predicting soil water content (SWC), wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) canopy cover (CC), biomass, and grain yield (GY) under DI combined with IASM strategies. Model input data for calibration and validation were obtained from field experiments conducted in the 2018 and 2019 irrigated seasons. These experiments included four irrigation scenarios (full irrigation [100 % crop water requirement, ETc], 80 % ETc, 60 % ETc and 50 % ETc), and five IASM strategies. The SWC was measured before and after irrigation events, while CC and biomass accumulation (BM) were monitored every 15 days post-sowing. Final biomass (FBM) and GY were recorded at harvest. The model was calibrated using 2018 data and validated with 2019 data.
Results
The simulated SWC, CC, BM, FBM, and GY results closely matched the field-measured results for all treatments. Statistical analysis revealed a precise agreement between simulated and field-measured values. The coefficients of determination (R²) ranged from 0.83 to 0.99, and the normalized root mean square error (NRMSE) ranged from 2.1 % to 9.1 % for SWC. For CC, R² ranged from 0.86 to 0.99 with NRMSE from 1.2 % to 9.8 %; for BM, R² ranged from 0.81 to 0.99 with NRMSE from 1.1 % to 7.8 %; and for GY, R² ranged from 0.87 to 0.99 with NRMSE from 1.4 % to 7.4 %.
Conclusions
The model performed well under severe water stress, proving its suitability for predicting wheat productivity. However, challenges were encountered in adjusting soil fertility levels, particularly with the uniform application of mineral fertilizers across all treatments. More iterations were required to match the simulated values with the field-measured values as water and soil fertility stress increased.
Implications or significance
Despite these challenges, the AquaCrop model demonstrated strong performance, especially under optimal soil fertility and irrigation conditions.
期刊介绍:
Field Crops Research is an international journal publishing scientific articles on:
√ experimental and modelling research at field, farm and landscape levels
on temperate and tropical crops and cropping systems,
with a focus on crop ecology and physiology, agronomy, and plant genetics and breeding.