Simulation of the soil water content under different water deficits for apple trees via improved WOFOST-HYDRUS coupled model
Abstract
study aimed to integrate the enhanced WOFOST model with the HYDRUS model to simulate the growth and development of
apple trees, as well as the dynamics of soil moisture under varying degrees of water deficit. The outputs of evapotranspiration
(ET0) and leaf area index (LAI) from the WOFOST model during the apple growth phase were specifically integrated with
HYDRUS-1D. These parameters served as intermediaries to assess the impact of different water deficit scenarios on apple tree
growth and soil moisture content. The experimental design included three levels of water deficit treatments in addition to
control, with irrigation volumes for the deficit treatments set at 85%, 70%, and 55% of the control’s volume, respectively. The
model-predicted LAI across all irrigation treatments exhibited an R2 range of 0.89-0.95, a normalized root mean square error
(NRMSE) between 8.02% and 14.57%, and yield prediction errors ranging from 6.27% to 9.61%, closely aligned with
empirical data. The accuracy of simulated soil moisture content was enhanced in the 0-30 cm layer, with a slight decrease in
accuracy observed in the 30-60 cm layer. For each irrigation treatment, the R2 values for simulated soil moisture content ranged
from 0.77 to 0.89 in the 0-30 cm layer and from 0.75 to 0.81 in the 30-60 cm layer. This study validated the capability of the
WOFOST-HYDRUS model to accurately simulate the effects of varied water deficit treatments on soil moisture, LAI, and
apple tree yield, providing valuable insights for developing optimal irrigation strategies.
Keywords: growth model, WOFOST-HYDRUS, apple trees, water simulation, water deficit treatment
DOI: 10.25165/j.ijabe.20251801.9384
Citation: Zhao L, Zhang H R, Zhao X B, Ding Y H, Shi Y, Cui N B, et al. Simulation of the soil water content under different water deficits for apple trees via improved WOFOST-HYDRUS coupled model. Int J Agric & Biol Eng, 2025; 18(1): 219–229.
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