Evaluation of a Nonlinear Root-Water Uptake Model
Publication: Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 135, Issue 3
Abstract
Soil-water movement due to root-water uptake, is a key process for plant growth and transport of water in the soil plant system. There are different root-water uptake models to determine the extraction rate of soil moisture by roots. The present study examines the performance of different root-water extraction models using available data as well as data generated under controlled conditions. Data pertaining to moisture uptake in respect to two crops: wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) and maize (Zea mays L.) along with soil-water characteristics have been monitored at the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, agricultural farm. For this purpose, a numerical model is also formulated by incorporating different moisture extraction terms as sink terms in the Richards equation. A nonlinear root-water uptake model selected as the base model was evaluated for its moisture uptake efficiency. The work establishes the merits of the base model over other extraction terms considered, particularly constant and linear extraction terms in predicting the soil moisture depletion in the root zone. The work stresses the nonlinearity parameter of the base model, which is capable of defining crop specific nonlinearity in the plant moisture uptake.
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Acknowledgments
The writers wish to express their sincere thanks to Ms. Jennifer M. Smith, Administrative Associate, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Agriculture Experiment Station, Tucson, Arizona for providing published evapotranspiration, crop water use, and moisture depletion data in the form of Technical Bulletin No. 169, Agricultural Experiment Station, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona from the Library of the University of Arizona. Financial support of McGill India Strategic Research Initiative (MISRI) Award project in the study is gratefully acknowledged.
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Published In
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering
Volume 135 • Issue 3 • June 2009
Pages: 303 - 312
Copyright
© 2009 ASCE.
History
Received: Nov 30, 2007
Accepted: Sep 10, 2008
Published online: May 15, 2009
Published in print: Jun 2009
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