Modeling Agricultural Land Management to Improve Understanding of Nitrogen Leaching in an Irrigated Mediterranean Area in Southern Turkey

Abstract

Nitrogen (N) cycle dynamics and its transport in the ecosystem were always an attracting subject for the researchers. Calculation of N budget in agricultural systems with use of different empirical statistical methods is common practice in OECD and EU countries. However, these methodologies do not include climate and water cycle as part of the process. On the other hand, big scale studies are labor and work intensive. As a solution, various computer modeling approaches have been used to predict N budget and related N parameters. One of them is internationally established Soil and Water Assessment (SWAT) model, which was developed especially for modeling agricultural catchments. The aim of this study was to improve understanding of N leaching with simulation of agricultural land management (fertilization, irrigation, and plant species) in hydrological heavily modified watershed with irrigation-depended agriculture under Mediterranean climate. The study was conducted in Lower Seyhan River Plain Irrigation District (Akarsu) of 9495 ha in Cukurova region of southern Turkey. Intensive and extensive water and nitrogen monitoring data (2008)(2009)(2010)(2011)(2012)(2013)(2014), soil properties, cropping pattern, and crop rotation were used for the SWAT model build, calibration, and validation of the model.

An accurate evaluation of water availability in sub-arid Mediterranean watersheds through SWAT: Cega-Eresma-Adaja

“…This parameter is related with the lateral flow configuration between the root zone and shallow aquifer connection to the river bed, pointing out the importance of the shallow aquifer and main channel relationship in sub-arid zones. This situation is also reported for other Mediterranean catchments in France (Sellami et al, 2014), Spain (Jimeno-Sáez et al, 2018) or Turkey (Karnez, 2017).…”

Hydrological modelling improvements in the assessemnt of water resources of agrarian subbasins in semiarid regions

“…This parameter is related with the lateral flow configuration between the root zone and shallow aquifer connection to the river bed, pointing out the importance of the shallow aquifer and main channel relationship in sub-arid zones. This situation is also reported for other Mediterranean catchments in France (Sellami et al, 2014), Spain (Jimeno-Sáez et al, 2018 or Turkey (Karnez, 2017). Another sensitive parameter is CN2 (3th place in the sensitivity ranking).…”