| Title: | Modeling crop water productivity using a coupled SWAT–MODSIM model |
| Authors: | Vaghefi, S.A., K.C. Abbaspour, M. Faramarzi, R. Srinivasan and J.G. Arnold |
| Year: | 2017 |
| Journal: | Water |
| Volume (Issue): | 9(3) |
| Pages: | |
| Article ID: | 157 |
| DOI: | 10.3390/w9030157 |
| URL (non-DOI journals): | |
| Model: | SWAT |
| Broad Application Category: | crop/plant/tree growth or production |
| Primary Application Category: | model and/or data interface |
| Secondary Application Category: | blue, green and/or gray water, or crop water productivity |
| Watershed Description: | 57,000 km^2 Karkheh River, located in southwestern Iran. |
| Calibration Summary: | |
| Validation Summary: | |
| General Comments: | |
| Abstract: | This study examines the water productivity of irrigated wheat and maize yields in
Karkheh River Basin (KRB) in the semi-arid region of Iran using a coupled modeling approach
consisting of the hydrological model (SWAT) and the river basin water allocation model (MODSIM).
Dynamic irrigation requirements instead of constant time series of demand were considered. As the
cereal production of KRB plays a major role in supplying the food market of Iran, it is necessary
to understand the crop yield-water relations for irrigated wheat and maize in the lower part of
KRB (LKRB) where most of the irrigated agricultural plains are located. Irrigated wheat and maize
yields (Y) and consumptive water use (AET) were modeled with uncertainty analysis at a subbasin
level for 1990–2010. Simulated Y and AET were used to calculate crop water productivity (CWP).
The coupled SWAT–MODSIM approach improved the accuracy of SWAT outputs by considering
the water allocation derived from MODSIM. The results indicated that the highest CWP across this
region was 1.31 kg x m-3 and 1.13 kg x m-3 for wheat and maize, respectively; and the lowest was
less than 0.62 kg x m-3 and 0.58 kg x m-3. A close linear relationship was found for CWP and yield.
The results showed a continuing increase for AET over the years while CWP peaks and then declines.
This is evidence of the existence of a plateau in CWP as AET continues to increase and evidence of
the fact that higher AET does not necessarily result in a higher yield. |
| Language: | English |
| Keywords: | Karkheh River Basin; dynamic irrigation scheduling; irrigated wheat; irrigated maize; uncertainty analysis; coupled SWAT-MODSIM |