Modelling soil water dynamics and root water uptake for apple trees under water storage pit irrigation

Authors

  • Xianghong Guo College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • Tao Lei College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • Xihuan Sun College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • Juanjuan Ma College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • Lijian Zheng College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • Shaowen Zhang College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China
  • Qiqi He College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v12i5.4005

Keywords:

root water uptake, soil water dynamics, numerical simulation, water storage pit irrigation, apple tree

Abstract

Water storage pit irrigation is a new method suitable for apple trees. It comes with advantages such as water saving, water retention and drought resistance. A precise study of soil water movement and root water uptake is essential to analyse and show the advantages of the method. In this study, a mathematical model (WSPI-WR model) for 3D soil water movement and root water uptake under water storage pit irrigation was established based on soil water dynamics and soil moisture and root distributions. Moreover, this model also considers the soil evaporation, pit wall evaporation and water level variation in the pit. The finite element method was used to solve the model, and the law of mass conservation was used to analyse the water level variation. The model was validated by experimental data of the sap flow of apple trees and soil moisture in the orchard. Results showed that the WSPI-WR model is highly accurate in simulating the root water uptake and soil water distributions. The WSPI-WR model can be used to simulate root water uptake and soil water movement under water storage pit irrigation. The simulation showed that orchard soil water content and root water uptake rate centers on the storage pit with an ellipsoid distribution. The maximum distribution region of soil water and root water uptake rate was near the bottom of the pit. Distribution can reduce soil evaporation in the orchard and improve the soil water use efficiency in the middle-deep soil. Keywords: root water uptake, soil water dynamics, numerical simulation, water storage pit irrigation, apple tree DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20191205.4005 Citation: Guo X H, Lei T, Sun X H, Ma J J, Zheng L J, Zhang S W, et al. Modelling soil water dynamics and root water uptake for apple trees under water storage pit irrigation. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2019; 12(5): 126–134.

Author Biography

Xianghong Guo, College of Water Resource Science and Engineering, Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan 030024, China

Guo Xianghong, male, Ph. D., associate professor, mainly engaged in the research of water saving irrigation theory.

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Published

2019-10-14

How to Cite

Guo, X., Lei, T., Sun, X., Ma, J., Zheng, L., Zhang, S., & He, Q. (2019). Modelling soil water dynamics and root water uptake for apple trees under water storage pit irrigation. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, 12(5), 126–134. https://doi.org/10.25165/ijabe.v12i5.4005

Issue

Vol. 12 No. 5 (2019): IJABE

Section

Natural Resources and Environmental Systems

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