Determination of Irrigation Scheduling Based on the Most Suitable Irrigation Water Level in Strawberry with HYDRUS-2D Model

Year 2025, Volume: 31 Issue: 4, 892 - 903, 30.09.2025

Begüm Polat , Eser Çeliktopuz , Dursun Büyüktaş

https://doi.org/10.15832/ankutbd.1607634

Abstract

In recent years, the use of mulch in drip-irrigated strawberry cultivation has increased. Since there is no water loss through evaporation on the soil surface in mulch application, its use with drip irrigation method is seen as an important opportunity for the efficient use of water resources. This study aimed to determine the irrigation level that enhances water savings using the HYDRUS-2D model, based on irrigation scheduling previously implemented under real conditions. The field study was conducted in Adana during the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 growing seasons. Irrigation applications were based on a three-day evaporation from a Class A pan, with the full irrigation treatment (R100) calculated accordingly. Different irrigation levels were obtained by multiplying this duration by 0.75 (R75) and 0.50 (R50). During the first-year calibration phase, soil properties, measured irrigation water amount, and transpiration values were defined as inputs to the model for R100, and volumetric water content was estimated for 0-30 cm soil depth. The measured and predicted water contents for R100 were compared and soil shape parameters were determined according to statistical parameters. In the second-year validation phase, treatment-specific transpiration and irrigation amounts were input into the model, and simulations were generated using shape parameters determined in the calibration. Then, the measured and estimated water content at 0-30 cm depth were compared. In the calibration phase, R², RMSE, and MAE were 0.94, 0.06, and 0.05 cm³ cm-³, respectively. In the validation phase, these values ranged from 0.75 to 0.92, 0.01 to 0.05 cm³ cm-³, and 0.01 to 0.05 cm³ cm-³, respectively. The results indicate that the HYDRUS-2D model can predict soil water content with high accuracy in drip irrigation under mulch application in strawberry cultivation. Among the evaluated scenarios, an irrigation level of 0.70 times the full irrigation duration based on 3-day evaporation is recommended for future studies.

Keywords

Drip irrigation , Simulation modelling , Soil moisture distribution , Deficit irrigation , Soil moisture

References

• Adak N, Gubbuk H & Tetik N (2018). Yield, quality and biochemical properties of various strawberry cultivars under water stress. Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 98(1): 304–311
• Allen R G, Pereira L S, Raes D & Smith M (1998). Crop evapotranspiration. FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56. Rome: FAO. Ariza M T, Miranda L, Gómez-Mora J A, Medina J J, Lozano D, Gavilán P, Soria C & Martínez-Ferri E (2021). Yield and fruit quality of strawberry cultivars under different irrigation regimes. Agronomy 11(2): 261
• Bowerman B L, O’Connell R T & Koehler A B (2004). Forecasting, time series and regression: An applied approach. Belmont, CA: Thomson Brooks/Cole
• Celiktopuz E, Kapur B, Sarıdas M A & Kargı S P (2021). Response of strawberry fruit and leaf nutrient concentrations to the application of irrigation levels and a biostimulant. Journal of Plant Nutrition 44(2): 153–165
• Corzo G & Solomatine D (2007). Baseflow separation techniques for modular artificial neural network modelling in flow forecasting. Hydrological Sciences Journal 52(3): 91-507 https://doi.org/10.1623/hysj.52.3.491
• Draper N R & Smith H (1998). Applied regression analysis (3rd ed.). John Wiley & Sons. Fan L, Roux V, Dubé C, Charlebois D, Tao S & Khanizadeh S (2012). Effect of mulching systems on fruit quality and photochemical composition of newly developed strawberry lines. Agriculture and Food Science 21: 131–140 FAOSTAT (2020). Retrieved August 1, 2024, from https://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data/QCL
• Feddes R A, Kowalik P J & Zaradny H (1978). Simulation of field water use and crop yield. New York: John Wiley & Sons. García Morillo J, Martín M, Camacho E, Rodríguez Díaz J A & Montesinos P (2015). Toward precision irrigation for intensive strawberry cultivation. Agricultural Water Management 151: 43–51
• García Morillo J, Rodríguez Díaz J A, Camacho E & Montesinos P (2017). Drip irrigation scheduling using Hydrus 2-D numerical model application for strawberry production in south-west Spain. Irrigation and Drainage 66(5): 797–807
• Gärdenäs A I, Hopmans J W, Hanson B R & Šimůnek J (2005). Two-dimensional modeling of nitrate leaching for various fertigation scenarios under micro-irrigation. Agricultural Water Management 77: 219–242
• Geng L, Li L, Li W, Yang C F & Meng F J (2022). HYDRUS-2D simulations of water movement in a drip irrigation system under soilless substrate. International Journal of Agricultural and Biological Engineering 15(3): 210–216
• James G, Witten D, Hastie T, Tibshirani R & Taylor J (2013). An Introduction to Statistical Learning: with Applications in R. Springer, Switzerland Kachwaya D S, Chandel J S, Vikas G & Khachi B (2016). Effect of drip and furrow irrigation on yield and physiological performance of strawberry (Fragaria ananassa Duch.) cv. Chandler. Indian Journal of Plant Physiology 21: 341–344
• Kaman H, Gübbük H, Tezcan A Can M & Özbek, Ö (2023). Water-yield relationship of greenhouse-grown strawberry under limited irrigation. Notulae Botanicae Horti Agrobotanici Cluj-Napoca 51(2), Article 13235. https://doi.org/10.15835/nbha51213235
• Kaur P & Kaur A (2017). Effect of various mulches on the growth and yield of strawberry cv. Chandler under sub-tropical conditions of Punjab. International Journal of Recent Trends in Science and Technology 25: 21–25
• Kırda C & Kanber R (1999). Water, No Longer a Plentiful Resource, Should be Used Sparingly, Irrigated Agriculture. In: C. Kirda, P, Moutonnet, C.Hera and D.r. Nielsen, eds. Crop Yield Response to Deficit Irrigation, Dordrecht, The Netherlands, Kluwer Academic Publishers Klamkowski K & Treder W. (2006). Morphological and physiological responses of strawberry plants to water stress. Agriculturae Conspectus Scientificus 71: 159–165
• Kumar S & Dey P (2011). Effects of different mulches and irrigation methods on root growth, nutrient uptake, water-use efficiency and yield of strawberry. Scientia Horticulturae 127: 318–324
• Legates D R & McCabe G J (1999). Evaluating the use of "goodness-of-fit" measures in hydrologic and hydroclimatic model validation. Water Resources Research 35(1): 233-241
• Létourneau G, Caron J, Anderson L & Cormier J (2015). Matric potential-based irrigation management of field-grown strawberry: Effects on yield and water use efficiency. Agricultural Water Management 161: 102–113
• Medina Y, Gosselin A, Desjardins Y, Gauthier L, Harnois R & Khanizadeh S (2011). Effect of plastic mulches on yield and fruit quality of strawberry plants grown under high tunnels. Acta Horticulturae 893: 1327–1332 Mualem Y (1976). A new model for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated porous media. Water Resources Researc 12: 513-522
• Nezhadahmadi A, Faruq G & Rashid K (2015). The impact of drought stress on morphological and physiological parameters of three strawberry varieties in different growing conditions. Pakistan Journal of Agricultural Sciences 52: 79-92 Pandey S, Tewari G S, Singh J, Rajpurohit D & Kumar G (2016). Efficacy of mulches on soil modifications, growth, production and quality of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.). International Journal of Science and Nature, 7: 813-820
• Pop . F, Mitre V, Balcău S L & Gocan T M (2013). Indicators of economic efficiency on strawberry yield under the influence of three different mulches and two fertilizers. Bulletin of the University of Agricultural Sciences and Veterinary Medicine Cluj-Napoca, Horticulture 70: 187–194 Richards L A (1931). Capillary conduction of liquids in porous mediums. Physics 1: 318–333
• Schaap M G, Leij F J & van Genuchten T (2001). ROSETTA: A computer program for estimating soil hydraulic parameters with hierarchical pedotransfer functions. Journal of Hydrology 251: 163–176
• Šimůnek J, Šejna M & van Genuchten M T (1999). The Hydrus-2D software package for simulating two-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably saturated media. Version 2.0. International Ground Water Modeling Center Technical Paper Series No. 53. Colorado School of Mines, Golden, CO
• Šimůnek J, van Genuchten M Th & Šejna M (2006). The HYDRUS software package for simulating two- and three-dimensional movement of water, heat, and multiple solutes in variably-saturated media (Version 1.0) [User manual]. PC Progress.
• Sun L, Li B, Yao M, Mao L, Zhao M, Niu H, Xu Z, Wang T & Wang J (2023). Simulation of soil water movement and root uptake under mulched drip irrigation of greenhouse tomatoes. Water 15: 1282 https://doi.org/10.3390/w15071282
• Tariq, M. S., Bano, A., & Qureshi, K. M (2016.). Response of strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa) cv. Chandler to different mulching materials.. Science, Technology and Development, 35(3): 117–122.
• Tunc T, Sahin U, Evren S, Dasci E, Guney E & Aslantas R (2019). The deficit irrigation productivity and economy in strawberry in the different drip irrigation practices in a high plain with semi-arid climate. Scientia Horticulturae 245: 47–56
• Van Genuchten M T (1980). A closed-form equation for predicting the hydraulic conductivity of unsaturated soils. Soil Science Society of America Journal 44: 892–898
• Verdier M (1987). Cultivo del fresón en climas templados. Ediciones Agrarias, Spain. Yuan B Z, Sun J & Nishiyama S (2004). Effect of drip irrigation on strawberry growth and yield inside a plastic greenhouse. Biosystems Engineering 87(2): 237–245 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2003.10.014