Articles
Assessment of AquaCrop model for simulating the pea crop growth in Chichaoua region, Morocco
Article number
1422_32
Pages
259 – 266
Language
English
Abstract
This work aims to test the AquaCrop model to simulate the main output, including canopy cover (CC), actual evapotranspiration (ETa), total soil water content (SWC), grain yield (GY) and biomass (B) of pea crop at the Chichaoua semi-arid region located in the central part of Morocco.
The primary goal of this study is to assess the AquaCrop model’s effectiveness in simulating these parameters to provide insights for improving irrigation management and optimizing crop yield predictions in semi-arid conditions.
The AquaCrop model was tested with the observed data from the 2022-2023 growing season on the pea crop cultivar ‘Mucio’, which is known for its high quality, with a purity minimum of 99% and a germination minimum of 85%. The main key parameters, that need to be calibrated through minimizing the error between the simulated and measured aforementioned outputs, were identified, including a water productivity of 16 g m‑2, a 40% of harvest index, and a maximum crop transpiration coefficient (KcTr,x) of 0.85. The obtained simulation results showed that the model adequately simulated CC, B, and GY during the growing season.
The root mean square error (RMSE) between observed and measured CC, B, and GY were 0.9%, 0.1 t ha‑1 and 0.06 t ha‑1. For the ETa and TWC simulations, the results also showed that the model correctly simulates both output.
The RMSE between observed and measured ETa and SWC was 0.54 mm day‑1 and 14.5 mm.
This research contributes to the understanding of AquaCrop’s applicability in simulating pea growth in the Chichaoua region.
The demonstrated accuracy in simulation phases highlights that the model can be used by decision-makers and growers for improving irrigation management.
This is of crucial importance in arid and semi-arid regions where water is becoming increasingly scarce.
The primary goal of this study is to assess the AquaCrop model’s effectiveness in simulating these parameters to provide insights for improving irrigation management and optimizing crop yield predictions in semi-arid conditions.
The AquaCrop model was tested with the observed data from the 2022-2023 growing season on the pea crop cultivar ‘Mucio’, which is known for its high quality, with a purity minimum of 99% and a germination minimum of 85%. The main key parameters, that need to be calibrated through minimizing the error between the simulated and measured aforementioned outputs, were identified, including a water productivity of 16 g m‑2, a 40% of harvest index, and a maximum crop transpiration coefficient (KcTr,x) of 0.85. The obtained simulation results showed that the model adequately simulated CC, B, and GY during the growing season.
The root mean square error (RMSE) between observed and measured CC, B, and GY were 0.9%, 0.1 t ha‑1 and 0.06 t ha‑1. For the ETa and TWC simulations, the results also showed that the model correctly simulates both output.
The RMSE between observed and measured ETa and SWC was 0.54 mm day‑1 and 14.5 mm.
This research contributes to the understanding of AquaCrop’s applicability in simulating pea growth in the Chichaoua region.
The demonstrated accuracy in simulation phases highlights that the model can be used by decision-makers and growers for improving irrigation management.
This is of crucial importance in arid and semi-arid regions where water is becoming increasingly scarce.
Publication
Authors
L. Jallal, S. Er-Raki, S. Khabba, J. Ezzahar, A. Chehbouni
Keywords
Pisum sativum, plant growth simulation, semi-arid region, water management
Online Articles (63)