Abstract
The water-driven AquaCrop model is used extensively for simulating crop growth and water use. A three-year field experiment (2015–2017) of foxtail millet (Setaria italica) that was grown using plastic film mulching (PM) and no mulching (NM) was conducted in a rain-fed region of China to simulate canopy cover (CC), biomass, soil water content (SWC), yield, evapotranspiration (ETc), and water use efficiency (WUE). The year 2015 was much drier and warmer than the two other years. The model was calibrated using field data from 2016 and validated using the data from 2015 and 2017. Simulations of CC, biomass, and yield achieved favorable performance for both PM and NM in all years, as indicated by the high determination coefficient (R2), model efficiency (EF), small root mean square error (RMSE), normalized root mean square error (NRMSE), and deviations < 10%. Simulations of SWC, ETc, and WUE gave acceptable results for both PM and NM in the normal year (2017). However, low R2 and EF, and large NRMSE, RMSE, and deviations were observed in the predictions of PM and NM for SWC, ETc, and WUE in the dry year (2015) with a severe drought stress, indicating that the model performed unsatisfactorily under severe drought stress condition that was caused by the adverse weather. In addition, the simulation performance of NM was more favorable than that of PM for most crop growth and water use indexes under no drought stress condition.
Highlights
Water resource scarcity is the most limiting factor for agricultural production in many parts of the world
Plastic film mulching (PM) is currently the principal method that is used for mulch
The main objective of this study was to parametrize and to evaluate the AquaCrop model by using it to simulate growth, water use, and soil water content of foxtail millet grown with and without filming mulching under different weather conditions, to determine whether the model can be used in agricultural production and water management in the north of China
Summary
Water resource scarcity is the most limiting factor for agricultural production in many parts of the world. Mulch has been used throughout the world to increase crop yields and water use efficiency, especially in areas where water resources are scarce. Many biodegradable materials have been used in mulching with great effects, leading many to conclude that mulching will have considerable applications in the future of agriculture [1]. Many studies have reported that PM significantly improves growth, yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) for many crops, such as wheat [2], maize [3], cotton [4], and sweet pepper [5] in both rain-fed and irrigated areas. The objective of using a crop model is to study the impact of agronomic technology, climate, and soil on crop development and growth, yield, and water productivity.
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