Modeling the Water and Nitrogen Management Practices in Paddy Fields with HYDRUS-1D

Kaiwen Chen, Shuang’en Yu, Tao Ma, Jihui Ding, Pingru He, Yao Li, Yan Dai and Guangquan Zeng
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Kaiwen Chen: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Shuang’en Yu: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Tao Ma: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Jihui Ding: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Pingru He: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Yao Li: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Yan Dai: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China
Guangquan Zeng: College of Agricultural Sciences and Engineering, Hohai University, Nanjing 210098, China

Agriculture, 2022, vol. 12, issue 7, 1-18

Abstract: Rice production involves abundant water and fertilizer inputs and is prone to nitrogen (N) loss via surface runoff and leaching, resulting in agricultural diffuse pollution. Based on a two-season paddy field experiment in Jiangsu Province, China, field water and N dynamics and their balances were determined with the well-calibrated HYDRUS-1D model. Then, scenarios of different controlled drainage and N fertilizer applications were simulated using the HYDRUS-1D model to analyze the features and factors of N loss from paddy fields. Evapotranspiration and deep percolation were the two dominant losses of total water input over the two seasons, with an average loss of 50.9% and 38.8%, respectively. Additionally, gaseous loss of N from the whole soil column accounted for more than half of total N input on average, i.e., ammonia volatilization (17.5% on average for two seasons) and denitrification (39.7%), while the N uptake by rice accounted for 37.1% on average. The ratio of N loss via surface runoff to total N input exceeded 20% when the N fertilizer rate reached 300 kg ha −1 . More and longer rainwater storage in rice fields under controlled drainage reduced surface runoff losses but increased the risk of groundwater contamination by N leaching. Therefore, compared with raising the maximum ponding rainwater depth for controlled drainage, optimizing N fertilizer inputs may be more beneficial for controlling agricultural diffuse pollution by reducing N loss via surface runoff and leaching. The HYDRUS-1D model provides an approach for the quantitative decision-making process of sustainable agricultural water and N management.

Keywords: water balance; nitrogen balance; percolation; surface runoff; leaching; ponding water; controlled drainage; diffuse pollution; water-saving irrigation (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q10 Q11 Q12 Q13 Q14 Q15 Q16 Q17 Q18 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

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