Calibration and validation of AquaCrop for deficit and full irrigation of tomato

Authors

  • Ransford Opoku Darko 1. Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; 2. Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Cape Coast, Central Region, Cape Coast, PMB Ghana;
  • Yuan Shouqi Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • Yan Haofang Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China
  • Junping Liu Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, 212013, China
  • Agnes Abbey Faculty of Science and forestry, University of Eastern Finland, Joensuu 80101, Finland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v9i3.1812

Keywords:

AquaCrop, irrigation, calibration, validation, tomato, water requirements, yield

Abstract

The objective of this study was to calibrate and test AquaCrop for tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum) grown under deficit and full irrigation. Two field experiments were carried out in the tropical humid coastal savanna zone in Mfantseman district of the Central Region of Ghana. Data from the first experiment were used to calibrate the model while data obtained from the second experiment were used to validate the model. The calibrated AquaCrop model concentrated on its performance to predict crop yield and seasonal crop water requirement (ETc). Four treatments were investigated: T1 (no irrigation after plant establishment), T2 (50% ETc restoration), T3 (100% ETc restoration up to beginning of flowering, then 50% ETc restoration) and T4 (100% ETc restoration). The results revealed that AquaCrop was able to simulate the yield of tomato for T2-T4 with the exception of Treatment T1 which was simulated with the highest deviation of 45.1%. On the other hand, the model was able to simulate the seasonal water requirements to an appreciable degree in both experiments. It must be pointed out that the calibration of AquaCrop suffered from a lack of data on the progress of crop canopy cover which is a very important parameter used in developing the model. Keywords: AquaCrop, irrigation, calibration, validation, tomato, water requirements, yield DOI: 10.3965/j.ijabe.20160903.1812 Citation: Darko R O, Yuan S Q, Yan H F, Liu J P, Abbey A. Calibration and validation of AquaCrop for deficit and full irrigation of tomato. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2016; 9(3): 104－110.

Author Biographies

Ransford Opoku Darko, 1. Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China; 2. Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Cape Coast, Central Region, Cape Coast, PMB Ghana;

Ph. D Candidate, Research fellow and Lecturer

Yuan Shouqi, Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Yan Haofang, Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang 212013, China

Associate Professor

Junping Liu, Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, 212013, China

Assistant Researcher, Research Centre of Fluid Machinery Engineering and Technology, Jiangsu University, Zhenjiang, Jiangsu Province, 212013, China

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Published

2016-05-31

How to Cite

Darko, R. O., Shouqi, Y., Haofang, Y., Liu, J., & Abbey, A. (2016). Calibration and validation of AquaCrop for deficit and full irrigation of tomato. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 9(3), 104–110. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v9i3.1812

Issue

Vol. 9 No. 3 (2016): IJABE

Section

Natural Resources and Environmental Systems

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