Agricultural Water Management最新文献

{"title":"Deep soil depletion and edge compensation: Insights into optimized strategies for addressing water imbalance in arid-region plantations","authors":"Xingting Liu ,&nbsp;Weiwei Wang ,&nbsp;Wantong Wang ,&nbsp;Xuancheng Liu ,&nbsp;Mengyang Li ,&nbsp;ChangChun Shi ,&nbsp;Fei Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109799","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109799","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>In recent years, the contradiction between vegetation restoration and the sustainability of soil water resources in arid regions has become increasingly prominent. Numerous studies have provided evidence that changes in land use significantly impact soil moisture; however, they often overlook the interconnections between different ecological landscape units. This study focuses on the <em>Pinus sylvestris</em>. artificial forest in the Mu Us Sandy Land, analyzing the spatial distribution characteristics of soil moisture profiles from 0 to 500 cm, and revealing the moisture dynamics and driving mechanisms within the forest and at the forest edge. The results indicate that the planting of <em>P. sylvestris</em> leads to a significant reduction in soil water storage (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), with notable depletion of soil moisture observed in 25-year-old <em>P. sylvestris</em> stands. Although soil moisture partially recovers as the trees mature, deep soil moisture remains continuously deficient, reflecting a long-term imbalance between vegetation water consumption and replenishment. Additionally, internal water competition is induced within 25- to 35-year-old stands, manifested by the absorption of moisture from the 100–300 cm soil layer of grassland at the forest edge by lateral roots of <em>P. sylvestris</em>, with an extent reaching up to 11 m. In the soil moisture profile from within the forest to the edge (19 m distance), a significant positive correlation is observed between root biomass and soil moisture (<em>P</em> &lt; 0.05), although this correlation gradually weakens with increasing distance from the forest edge. These findings suggest that the depletion of soil moisture within the forest encourages trees at the edge to extend their lateral roots to access additional water resources. Therefore, it is recommended that future forest management incorporate ecological nurturing measures centered on density regulation and spatial optimization. This study provides a scientific basis for promoting sustainable water resource management in <em>P. sylvestris</em> forests through thinning, and holds significant practical implications for vegetation restoration in arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109799"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044976","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Optimized integrated soil-crop system management enhances crop yield while reducing water resource consumption","authors":"Bingshuo Wang ,&nbsp;Ningning Yu ,&nbsp;Alam Sher ,&nbsp;Dong Cui ,&nbsp;Songlin Yang ,&nbsp;Jisheng Si ,&nbsp;Baizhao Ren ,&nbsp;Jiwang Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109792","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109792","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Freshwater resources depletion and unreasonable nitrogen fertilizers application has been China’s major constraint for both the sustainability of agricultural production and socioeconomic development. Based on the long-term integrated soil-crop system management (ISSM, since 2009), this study optimized irrigation method to investigate water utilization and nitrogen utilization of optimizing ISSM and explore whether it can increase maize production while reducing water resource consumption. To accomplish these objectives, six treatments (CK, traditional cultivation practices; OPT1, redesign of cropping systems and nutrient treatments; O-OPT1, based on OPT1, optimizing irrigation method; HY, treatment to explore local yield potential; OPT2, optimized combination of cropping systems and nutrient treatments; and O-OPT2, based on OPT2, optimizing irrigation method) were conducted in 2022–2023. Results showed that the HY demonstrated the highest yield under the border irrigation method and increasing maize production by 49.8–50.7 %, compared to CK. However, the O-OPT2 with its optimized irrigation method and nutrient treatments used less water and fertilizer, with no significant difference in yield between O-OPT2 and HY, and increased the proportion of water allocation in late growth period compared to HY. The water footprint (WF) of O-OPT2 was decreased by 35.5–36.5 % and 36.9–37.8 % compared to CK and HY, respectively. Moreover, O-OPT2 mitigated soil evaporation by 7.8–10.8 % and reduced crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) by 13.1–13.3 %, ultimately, both water use efficiency (WUE) and nitrogen use efficiency were significantly improved by 11.5–13.4 % and 132.5–136.4 %, respectively, compared to HY. In conclusion, the optimized ISSM can produce more grains at a lower water resource consumption.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109792"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044975","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Impact of soil heterogeneity on evapotranspiration and irrigation modeling using POLARIS and SSURGO-based soil hydraulic properties","authors":"Ramesh Dhungel ,&nbsp;Ray G. Anderson ,&nbsp;Andrew N. French ,&nbsp;Todd H. Skaggs ,&nbsp;Gregory E. Wang ,&nbsp;Nan Li ,&nbsp;Elia Scudiero","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109806","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109806","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Accurate maps of soil hydraulic properties are needed to enable precise, site-specific modeling of crop water use. Most available maps (e.g., the USDA-NRCS Soil Survey Geographic Database (SSURGO)) have significant uncertainties that may limit their usefulness for implementing site-specific irrigation (I_rri). Recently, a probabilistic, high-resolution (30 m) soil property map of the contiguous United States (POLARIS) was developed. In this study, we compare the use of POLARIS and SSURGO for parameterizing a water and energy-balance model of simulated I_rri and simulated evapotranspiration (ET_s). The Backwards Averaged Iterative Two Source Energy Balance Solution (BAITSSS) model was applied to a major irrigated agricultural region (Yuma Valley of Arizona and the adjacent Bard region of California, ∼ 110 km²). The BAITSSS simulation covered a lettuce growing cycle between September and December 2019 (78 days) utilizing Landsat-based vegetation indices, North American Land Data Assimilation System (NLDAS) weather variables, and Parameter-elevation Relationships on Independent Slopes Model (PRISM) precipitation data. SSURGO-based soil hydraulic properties resulted in approximately a 7 % increase in field-averaged simulated seasonal ET_s and a 25 % increase in field-averaged seasonal simulated I_rri. The POLARIS-based simulations had higher I_rri efficiency and less drawdown of soil moisture prior to harvest. Overall, this study highlights uncertainties introduced by soil parameterization in ET_s and I_rri modeling and their role in agricultural water management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109806"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044883","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A regional model-based algorithm to simulate root zone soil moisture with multi-source datasets","authors":"Yue Liu ,&nbsp;Zhenxin Bao ,&nbsp;Jianyun Zhang ,&nbsp;Guoqing Wang ,&nbsp;Yanqing Yang ,&nbsp;Xianhong Meng","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109803","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109803","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spatiotemporal characteristics of root zone soil moisture (RZSM) play a key role in agricultural water management. Reanalysis and satellite products, e.g., ERA5, GLDAS, GLEAM and SMAP provide global-scale RZSM information, but the accuracy of these datasets usually falls short of practical needs in regional agricultural studies. We established a regional model-based algorithm for estimating RZSM, incorporating soil moisture (SM) measurements, as well as climate, topography, soil, vegetation and land use to account for the heterogeneity of the area. Taking the Yellow River basin, which spans multiple wet-dry regions, as the research object to validate the regional model and estimate RZSM information. The results showed that the superposition of predictor variables could progressively improve the performance of the regional model by setting different model input cases. The regional simulations outperformed those by nearby-station model, which was based on the parameter transplantation method, with a 21.2 % increase in the Pearson correlation coefficient (CC) and a 27.6 % decrease in the mean absolute error (MAE). The assimilated RZSM obtained using the regional model, driven by surface SM from reanalysis and satellite products, was closer to the measurements compared to the RZSM datasets provided by ERA5, GLDAS, GLEAM and SMAP, with CC improved by 38.0 %, 8.9 %, 1.5 %, and 3.1 %, and MAE decreased by 19.7 %, 5.5 %, 15.1 %, and 13.2 %, respectively. The ERA5-assimilated dataset exhibited the most significant improvement in accuracy in the study area, particularly in the semi-humid region. Overall, such a simulation scheme is proven to be effective in obtaining high-precision RZSM information at the regional scale and holds great potential for applications in agricultural decision-making and management.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109803"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Modeling farmers' climate change adaptation strategies: An integrated SEM-SD approach in Southwest China","authors":"Jia Zhong ,&nbsp;Dingde Xu ,&nbsp;Ruiyin Chen ,&nbsp;Shaoquan Liu ,&nbsp;Hui Yu ,&nbsp;Lingxue Liu ,&nbsp;Chang Hou","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109812","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109812","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Global climate change, particularly the increasing frequency of extreme weather events, poses significant challenges to agriculture, threatening food security and sustainability. Farmers' adaptive capacity is crucial for maintaining agricultural stability. However, limited research has jointly examined passive adaptation strategies (PAS) and active adaptation strategies (AAS), particularly through an integrated approach. This study addresses this gap by innovatively combining the structural equation model (SEM) and the system dynamics (SD) model to identify key influencing factors and simulate the temporal evolution of farmers' climate change adaptation strategies (CCAS), capturing both causal relationships and dynamic behavioural trends. Based on a 2021 survey of farmers in Sichuan Province, the results revealed that most farmers predominantly relied on PAS, primarily increasing irrigation to cope with climate change. Personal adaptive capacity (PAC), especially technology adoption ability (TAA), farming experience (FE), and meteorological disaster knowledge (MDK) significantly influenced CCAS. Risk perception (RP) and social constraint (SC) strongly promoted PAS adoption, driven by climate risk concerns and social pressure. SD simulations from 2021 to 2031 further revealed that TAA was the most influential factor affecting adaptation behaviour, followed by FE and pressure from neighbours (PN). Moreover, integrated policies involving individuals, communities and the government were significantly more effective than single-actor efforts, with adaptation strategies accelerating after 2027. These findings highlight the value of integrating SEM and SD to explore the drivers and dynamics of climate adaptation. Enhancing individual adaptive capacity is key to shifting from PAS to AAS, offering theoretical and practical guidance for sustainable water use and climate-resilient agriculture.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109812"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044884","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Root zone infiltration irrigation affects plastic root developmental traits of fruit trees and root zone habitat in saline-alkali soil","authors":"Ping Gong ,&nbsp;Yanjie Li ,&nbsp;Hongguang Liu ,&nbsp;Zhijie Li ,&nbsp;Yao Zhang ,&nbsp;Xuyong Yu ,&nbsp;Rui Cai ,&nbsp;Zhenkun Wu ,&nbsp;Jie Wei ,&nbsp;Rui Fang ,&nbsp;Yongfu Wu ,&nbsp;Xinlin He","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109802","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109802","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Studying how fruit tree roots respond in saline-alkali soil to root architecture and habitat is critical for understanding water and nutrient cycling in these ecosystems. Irrigation is a essential farming practice that improves the root zone environment and root structural configurations. Analyzing shifts in root zone conditions induced by root zone infiltration irrigation and trade-offs in root system architecture is important for improving sustainable agricultural production practices. We conducted a two-year field experiment in a pear orchard with saline-alkali soil in the arid Korla region of Xinjiang, China. Different irrigation quotas (375, 525, and 675 mm) and infiltration tube burial depths (20, 30, and 40 cm) were used to investigate the responses of root zone soil physicochemical properties, enzyme activities, nutrient availability, bacterial community alpha diversity, and root geometric/spatial architecture to root zone infiltration irrigation (RZII). The results found that higher the irrigation quota reduced soil pH and electrical conductivity by 4.1 % and 10.3 %, respectively, and increased available phosphorus by 23.2 % and soil organic matter (SOM) by 20.4 %. Deeper burial depths shortened the irrigation source-to-root zone distance, increased nutrient leaching, and reduced phosphatase activity. Linear mixed-effects models (LMMs) and piecewise structural equation modeling (SEM) revealed the causal relationships between root architecture and habitat factors under RZII. RZII reshaped root development and foraging strategies by increasing the root length, surface area, and fractal dimension and reducing the topological index, thereby lowering root construction costs and enhancing soil resource acquisition. SEM and LMMs indicated that soil nutrients and physicochemical properties are the main factors affecting root architecture, and SOM positively affected geometric and spatial configurations by altering organic matter input. However, bacterial communities in the root zone did not directly affect root architecture. Our findings provide fresh perspectives on how soil habitat factors relate to root architecture trade-offs in saline-alkali orchards, advancing our understanding of fruit tree root adaptation to saline-alkali stress.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109802"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044885","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term integrated water-saving agricultural practices enhance soil health and sustain cotton yield on saline-alkali reclaimed lands","authors":"Pengcheng Luo ,&nbsp;Rui Chen ,&nbsp;Tehseen Javed ,&nbsp;Jihong Zhang ,&nbsp;Pengpeng Chen ,&nbsp;Juanjuan Yang ,&nbsp;Jinzhu Zhang ,&nbsp;Yue Wen ,&nbsp;Wenhao Li ,&nbsp;Qinggang Liu ,&nbsp;Deyi Li ,&nbsp;Zhenhua Wang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109800","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109800","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reclamation and management of saline wastelands are crucial for enhancing soil quality and agricultural productivity. Integrated water-saving agricultural practices (IWAP) have shown positive effects on saline-alkali soil improvement. However, the long-term yield response mechanisms, particularly the causal relationships between integrated practices, holistic soil health (physical, chemical, and biological), and microbial drivers, remain poorly understood. This study compared fields reclaimed for 12, 17, 20, 22, and 27 years with adjacent uncultivated saline-alkaline wasteland as the control, focusing on the cumulative effects of IWAP. Soil physical, chemical, and biological properties were assessed alongside soil health scores (Cornell Soil Health Assessment, PCA) and seed cotton yield for the 2023 season. The results showed that after reclamation, the soil salt content (SSC) in the 0–20 cm layer decreased by 82.07 %<img>93.19 %, and total carbon (TC), nitrogen (TN), and phosphorus (TP) content increased significantly. In the 20–60 cm layer, salinity decreased by 63.13 %<img>89.19 %, and TC, TN, and TP also increased. Soil health scores (SHS) increased by 202.66 %<img>322.11 % in the 0–20 cm layer and 155.09 %<img>277.48 % in the 20–60 cm layer, with the topsoil showing greater improvement. Soil aggregate stability followed a \"decrease-then-increase\" trend, reaching the lowest values at 12 years and gradually recovering there-after. PLS-SEM analysis revealed that IWAP directly impacted WSA_&gt; 0.25, SSC, and soil organic carbon (SOC), driving improvements in SHS and seed cotton yield. Key soil attributes such as WSA_&gt;0.25, SOC, microbial biomass carbon (MBC), and phosphorus (MBP) played pivotal roles in enhancing soil health and boosting yield. However, inefficient salt leaching and fluctuating microbial activity in the subsoil indicate areas for improvement in current practices. These findings not only decipher the mechanisms behind yield enhancement on reclaimed lands but also provide a robust scientific for optimizing management strategies to advance sustainable agroecosystems in saline-alkaline regions globally.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109800"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145044973","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Adaptations in agricultural water management in arid regions: Modelling farmer behaviour and cooperation on irrigation sustainability in Morocco","authors":"Imane El Fartassi ,&nbsp;Helen Metcalfe ,&nbsp;Rafiq El Alami ,&nbsp;Alhousseine Diarra ,&nbsp;Vasthi Alonso-Chavez ,&nbsp;Toby W. Waine ,&nbsp;Joanna Zawadzka ,&nbsp;Alice E. Milne ,&nbsp;Ron Corstanje","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109789","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109789","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Climate change has disrupted weather patterns and heightened drought risks in arid and semi-arid regions, requiring adaptations to crop and irrigation strategies to sustain food production. This study integrates qualitative and quantitative approaches to examine the factors influencing farmers crop and irrigation management decisions, with a focus on groundwater management and drip irrigation adoption. Semi-structured interviews 70 farmers from Al Haouz Basin, Morocco provided insights into motivations for crop and irrigation choices. Inductive coding was used for qualitative responses, and data analysis examined how farm size and tenure influenced decision-making. An integrated modelling approach combining the theory of planned behaviour and structural equation modelling (SEM) was used to interpret drivers of irrigation management strategy. The interviews revealed that 83 % of farmers were concerned about groundwater decline, with 40 % identifying salinity as a major challenge. We found that falling groundwater levels and soil salinization have already impacted yields and raised concerns about further declines, prompting large-scale farmers to transition to more profitable and drought-resilient olive cultivation. Analysis of the SEM showed that attitudes toward drip irrigation efficiency, maintaining groundwater supply, and preventing increases in groundwater salinity influence farmers’ intentions regarding their water usage. Additionally, perceived behavioural control played a key role in shaping adoption behaviours, reinforcing the importance of structural and economic factors in decision-making. Land ownership conferred greater long-term perceived control over sustainable water use. However, qualitative findings revealed that cooperation on groundwater management was limited, with many farmers citing a lack of perceived benefits and logistical challenges, highlighting collective action challenges. Complexities related to subsidy applications and land tenure deter drip irrigation adoption, especially among smallholders, constraining climate change resilience. Our study contributes to understanding farmers' coping strategies and presents a foundation from which to develop evidence-based policy reforms enhancing agricultural and water sustainability across arid and semi-arid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109789"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010026","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Effects of straw returning methods on seasonal variation in soil moisture and water storage in Mollisols with different degradation degrees","authors":"Shukun Xing ,&nbsp;Guanghui Zhang ,&nbsp;Ning Zhang ,&nbsp;Yatong Zhang ,&nbsp;Yi Zhang","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109796","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109796","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Straw return has been widely implemented to mitigate soil erosion in agricultural land. However, the influences of straw returning method on soil moisture dynamics and water storage capacity in croplands with varying degradation degrees remain unclear. To address these knowledge gaps, seasonal variations in soil moisture and water storage in 0–100 cm soil layer were monitored throughout the soybean growing season (2023) in the black soil region of northeastern China. Four straw returning methods, namely rotary tillage (SR), deep plowing (SP), strip mulching (SM) and straw removal (CK), were evaluated across croplands with four degradation degrees: non-degradation (ND), light (LD), moderate (MD) and severe degradation (SD). The findings demonstrated that soil moisture changed greatly with soybean growth stages, especially for SP and CK treatments, with coefficients of variation ranged from 1.3 % to 18.8 % and from 0.7 % to 15.8 %. With land degradation degree intensifying, 0–60 cm soil water storage decreased from 220.2 mm to 152.4 mm. Compared to CK, soil water storage (0–60 cm) increased by 2.8–10.6 %, −5.0–3.8 %, and 15.0–19.3 % for SR, SP and SM treatments, respectively. SR method was recommended for non-degraded cropland, whereas SM method should be applied for degraded croplands. The mechanisms of straw returning method regulating soil water storage were primarily related to the resultant changes in soil porosity, temperature, and the capacity to capture rainfall. This study provides valuable insights for choosing the appropriate straw management practice to promote rainfall use efficiency in sloping farmlands, particularly in semi-humid regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109796"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145019779","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Quantifying rainfall-induced climate risk in rainfed agriculture: A volatility-based time series study from semi-arid India","authors":"Soham Ghosh ,&nbsp;Sujay Mukhoti ,&nbsp;Pritee Sharma","doi":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109775","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109775","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Intra-annual variation in rainfall creates significant challenges for agricultural output, particularly in semi-arid monsoon regions. In this study, we present a volatility-in-mean time series modeling framework to examine how rainfall risk influences rice yield forecasts in Maharashtra, India. We construct four distinct measures to capture intra-seasonal rainfall variability and incorporate them into forecasting models using six decades of monthly rainfall data (1962–2021) for the state. These measures are embedded within ARIMAX and GARCH-ARIMAX specifications to jointly assess the effects of rainfall volatility on the mean and variability of yields. Our results show that volatility-based models – especially exponential GARCH (eGARCH) and gjrGARCH variants using higher-order, first-difference-based measures (<span><math><mrow><mi>R</mi><msub><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>3</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span> and <span><math><mrow><mi>R</mi><msub><mrow><mi>V</mi></mrow><mrow><mn>4</mn></mrow></msub></mrow></math></span>) – consistently deliver superior forecast accuracy and greater robustness compared to simpler ARIMAX or iGARCH configurations. Models relying on contemporaneous rainfall volatility outperform those using lagged measures, underscoring the immediate impact of seasonal climate anomalies. Sensitivity analysis with <span><math><mrow><mo>±</mo><mn>10</mn></mrow></math></span>% perturbations to rainfall risk measures further confirms that GARCH-type models not only improve predictive skill but also enhance stability under plausible input variations, making their inclusion effectively indispensable for climate-sensitive crop forecasting. These findings reinforce the need to embed dynamic meteorological risk indicators in agricultural forecasting frameworks to strengthen early warning systems, support adaptive policy design, and promote resilient, sustainable cropping systems in monsoon-dependent regions.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":7634,"journal":{"name":"Agricultural Water Management","volume":"319 ","pages":"Article 109775"},"PeriodicalIF":6.5,"publicationDate":"2025-09-08","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145010025","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}