Multi‐model simulation and evaluation of soil moisture characteristic curves in artificial apricot orchards based on one‐dimensional horizontal infiltration method
Jun 2026· Soil Science Society of America Journal· Vol 90· 0 citations· 77 references
Abstract
The soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) can quantitatively characterize and predict the retention, movement, and exploitability of soil water in drylands. It holds key scientific significance for optimizing water management, guiding agricultural production, and promoting ecological restoration. In the present research, soil specimens were collected from apricot (
Prunus armeniaca
L.) groves in the hilly regions of southern Ningxia to examine how varying ages of apricot trees influence the SWCC. The accuracy and variability of SWCC measurements in apricot orchards of different ages were assessed using the one‐dimensional horizontal infiltration method. Additionally, unsaturated hydraulic conductivity (
K
θ
), unsaturated diffusion coefficient (
D
), and related hydrological parameters were estimated. The feasibility and accuracy of the one‐dimensional horizontal infiltration method were evaluated using the in situ continuous evaporation method with a tensiometer. The results indicated that, compared with CK (farmland corn field), it took 78.89% longer for the wetting front to reach a depth of 40.0 cm in the 35‐year‐old stand, and sorptivity (
S
) decreased by 36.36%. A comparative analysis of the low matric potential range SWCC, obtained using both the one‐dimensional horizontal infiltration technique and the tensiometer technique, revealed that the
R
2
value was greater than 0.765, while the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) were both less than 0.1 cm
3
/cm
3
. This demonstrates that the one‐dimensional horizontal infiltration method has high precision in measuring the SWCC of forest soil. A comparison of the estimation results from two SWCC models, namely, the van Genuchten model as well as the Brooks–Corey model, showed that the van Genuchten model had a higher
R
2
value and lower RMSE and MAE compared to the Brooks–Corey model. This indicates that the van Genuchten model is more effective at predicting the SWCC of forest soil. Under the same moisture content conditions, both the
K
θ
and the
D
diminished as stand age increased. The study concluded that hydraulic permeability progressively waned with the escalation of forest age. It also substantiated that the one‐dimensional horizontal infiltration technique is an expeditious and dependable means for gauging the SWCC and pivotal hydrodynamic parameters of forest soil in arid zones.
Water resources in semi-arid regions are increasingly affected by climate variability, making hydrological modeling essential for assessing water availability and supporting watershed management. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) was applied to simulate the hydrological behavior of the Nfifikh watershed in Morocco using climate data from local meteorological stations complemented with gridded datasets, a 30 m digital elevation model, soil maps, and land-use data derived from satellite imagery. Observed streamflow at the watershed outlet was used for model calibration and validation following standard SWAT procedures. Model performance was evaluated using the Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), coefficient of determination (R²), percent bias (PBIAS), and the RMSE– standard deviation ratio (RSR), showing very good agreement between simulated and observed daily flows. Results indicate that about two-thirds of annual precipitation is lost through evapotranspiration, while streamflow is generated through surface runoff, lateral flow, and shallow subsurface contributions. Spatial patterns highlight higher runoff and sediment production in steep upland areas and greater flow regulation downstream. The study provides useful insights for water resource management in semi-arid watersheds.
Zahli Saleh Eddine· Nature Environment and Pollu...· 0 citations
Soil controls processes within the hydrological cycle, which are fundamental to environmental sustainability and agricultural production, such as infiltration, redistribution, and storage of water. Numerical models capable of estimating soil water content at low operational costs are potential tools for the management of water resources. This study evaluated the HYDRUS-1D model for simulating soil water content in five tropical soil classes representative of the Brazilian Federal District, at two soil depths, using statistical indicators. Model parameterization was based on the determination of soil hydraulic and physical properties using field and laboratory methods, including soil water retention curves described by the van Genuchten–Durner dual-porosity model and saturated hydraulic conductivity. Model performance was assessed using RMSE, RSR, R², NSE, and PBIAS statistics. Overall, HYDRUS-1D showed high accuracy in predicting the temporal soil moisture dynamics across different soil classes and depths, indicating its suitability for applications in Cerrado soils. In particular, the use of the dual-porosity approach for describing the soil water retention curve contributed to improved prediction of soil hydraulic behavior. However, some statistical metrics indicated lower performance for the Rhodic Ferralsol in the subsurface layer, influenced by the sensitivity of the metrics to low data variability. The results highlight the importance of soil-specific determination of soil hydraulic parameters for the model performance. Despite the potential limitations, the study shows that the HYDRUS-1D model can be a valuable tool for soil water and land management in the Brazilian Cerrado and in the Federal District.
Keywords: dual-porosity, HYDRUS-1D, soil moisture, soil water retention curve, vadose zone.
Márcio Leonardo de Sousa Coimbra, T. P. Leão, Manuel Pereira de Oliveira Junior· Ambiente E Agua - An Interdi...· 0 citations
Soil infiltration is a fundamental hydrological process that influences irrigation efficiency, groundwater recharge, runoff generation, and sustainable agricultural water management. This study evaluated soil infiltration characteristics and the performance of four classical infiltration models-Kostiakov, Horton, Green-Ampt, and Philip at Professor Abdu Lawal Saulawa Livestock Teaching and Research Farm, Federal University Dutsin-Ma, Katsina State, Nigeria. Field measurements were conducted at nine sampling locations during the dry season using a double-ring infiltrometer. Initial infiltration rate, basic infiltration rate, and cumulative infiltration were determined from observations recorded at 1-minute intervals for 40 minutes. Model performance was evaluated using the coefficient of determination (R²). The soils had a mean initial infiltration rate of 0.800 mm min⁻¹, a mean basic infiltration rate of 0.147 mm min⁻¹, and a mean cumulative infiltration of 17.40 mm min⁻¹over 40 minutes. Infiltration rate declined rapidly at the beginning of the tests and subsequently approached a quasi-steady state. The Green-Ampt model produced the highest coefficient of determination (R² = 0.682), followed by Horton (R² = 0.588), Kostiakov (R² = 0.174), and Philip (R² = 0.107). Therefore, Green-Ampt provided the best representation of the observed infiltration behavior among the evaluated models. The model may support site-specific irrigation planning and water-management decisions under comparable soil conditions.
M.Y. Abdullahi, A. Bishir, U. Badamasi· FUDMA Journal of Animal Prod...· 0 citations
Flowchart illustrating a catchment modeling workflow comparing continuous SMA and event-based SCS-CN methods, highlighting the superior performance of the SMA framework in simulating water yield.
Accurate estimation of continuous water yield from ungauged tropical catchments is vital for reservoir management. This study evaluates the physically based Soil Moisture Accounting (SMA) and the empirical Soil Conservation Service Curve Number (SCS-CN) in HEC-HMS for the Perlis State Park catchment in Malaysia. Models were validated against downstream discharge records using hydrograph analysis, Taylor diagrams, and volumetric assessments. Results indicate that the SMA method was substantially more suitable for this continuous simulation objective than the SCS-CN method, successfully capturing long-term streamflow, low-flow persistence, and seasonal variability (achieving monthly calibration correlations of r ≈ 0.85, n = 108, P < 0.001). In contrast, the event-driven SCS-CN method systematically overestimated wet-season peak discharges (>80 m3/s) and inflated monthly yields. Applying calibrated SMA parameters to ungauged forest nodes revealed that the central Wang Mu and Mata Ayer sectors dominate reservoir inflow, contributing peak monthly yields of 18 × 106 m3 and 11 × 106 m3, respectively. The SMA method captured the forest's vital hydrological buffering capacity, which sustains essential baseflow during the pronounced dry season. Ultimately, these findings validate that the continuous SMA method is a highly suitable tool for the specific continuous water-yield and baseflow-focused objectives of this data-scarce tropical region.
Zulkarnain Hassan, Samera Samsuddin Sah, A. N. Kamarudzaman et al.· Water Practice & Technol...· 0 citations
Understanding within-field and season variability of soil water supply and crop water stress is critical for successful variable-rate irrigation (VRI) management. The objectives of this study were to (1) assess within-field variability of field capacity (FC), wilting point (WP), total available water (TAW), and initial soil volumetric water content (VWCinit); (2) validate a water balance model based on the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) standardized Penman-Monteith estimation of reference evapotranspiration (ET0) using measured within-field VWC; and (3) evaluate the model sensitivity to FC, WP, VWCinit, and crop coefficients. A 22-ha field of winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) near Grace, Idaho, United Sates of America was delineated into zones and managed with VRI. Spatial variability of soil water characteristics among 102 sites was measured in the field: FC (355–488 mm), WP (103–153 mm), TAW (230–361 mm), and VWCinit (325–464 mm) in a 1.2 m soil profile. Model validation against measured VWC resulted in root mean square error (RMSE) values of 23.2–61.3 mm for different sampling dates. These RMSE values showed the ability to model within-field spatially variable soil water dynamics and crop water stress. The model showed high sensitivity of predicted ET and soil water depletion output values to FC and VWCinit inputs, but lower sensitivity to WP. The sensitivity analysis also suggested spatially variable crop coefficients improve prediction of spatially variable ET rates. The model validation highlights opportunities for a spatially variable modelling approach, while the model’s sensitivity to soil and crop parameters highlights practical limitations to scheduling VRI.
Elisa A. Flint, Jeffrey D. Svedin, Austin P. Hopkins et al.· Irrigation science· 0 citations
Arid regions face severe water stress due to limited rainfall and growing water demand, making accurate runoff estimation essential for sustainable water management. Infiltration processes strongly influence both hydrograph volume and peak discharge, and their accurate estimation is critical for hydrological modelling. This study applies the Watershed Modelling System (WMS) to evaluate rainwater harvesting potential in the Wadi El‐Aawag watershed, southwestern Sinai, Egypt, using four infiltration loss estimation methods: Uniform Loss (LU), Green–Ampt (LGA), Holtan (LH) and the Soil Conservation Service (SCS) curve number method. Each method accounts for soil type, land cover and infiltration characteristics, enabling assessment across recurrence intervals of 5, 10, 25, 50 and 100 years. The results indicate considerable variation in runoff response across the selected methods. The estimated runoff volumes were 35.11, 24.10, 31.65 and 23.57 million m
3
for LU, LGA, LH and SCS, respectively, for recurrence intervals of 100 years. Among the tested approaches, the SCS method provided the most reliable and realistic estimates for the study area. These findings emphasise the importance of method selection when modelling infiltration losses and highlight the role of robust hydrological assessment in optimising rainwater harvesting, mitigating drought risks and enhancing long‐term water security in arid regions.
Isamil Abd-Elaty, Alban Kuriqi, E. Ramadan et al.· Irrigation and Drainage· 0 citations