Water Allocation Based on Real-Time Simulation for Improving Soil Water Content

Abstract

Soil moisture capacity improvement could be a solution to increase the water productivity under drought condition. In this study, a try has been made to evaluate the influence of the superabsorbent polymer as a soil humidifier to increase root zone moisture content for maize cultivation. Field experiments were established in the Gotvand region of Khuzestan province, Iran. Three treatments of Aquasorb 3005 application (0, 300, and 600 kg/ha) and four irrigation strategies were considered in three replications for two growing seasons of 2019 and 2020 (from March to July). Irrigation planning, cultivation costs, biomass, harvest index and canopy cover were measured at different time steps of the growing seasons to provide growth simulation models using AquaCrop software. Minimum error test showed that the use of Aquasorb 3005 increased the yield of the product at 1% confidence level. Moreover, the depth and timing of irrigation were optimized by whale optimization algorithm with the objective of maximization of biomass under the water resources and economic constraints. Results illustrated the influence of superabsorbent application and irrigation planning on the improvement of water productivity.