A Soil Water Balance and Dry Matter Production Model: I. Soil Water Balance of Oat

Abstract
A simulation study of the soil water balance under oat (Avena sativa L.) was carried out on a Typic Hapludalf soil, at two sites near Göttingen, West Germany during 1976,1977,1982, and 1983. The model used describes the plant water uptake rate as a function of soil matric potential and rooting depth. Inputs needed for the model are soil physical parameters, daily meteorological data, rooting depth, leaf area index, and plant height. The goal was to test the usefulness of the model in predicting the soil water balance components and to determine if the plant water uptake rate, as a potential important factor for crop yield, can be simulated by applying a rather simple approach. Simulated water uptake rate, actual evapotranspiration rate, water storage in the soil profile, and soil water profiles, compared reasonably well with the measured values in the 4 yr studied. Since some of the model input parameters were derived from the 4‐yr experimental data, the model remains to be tested against an entirely independent data set.

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