Effect of Shallow Groundwater Table on the Moisture Depletion Pattern in Crop Root Zone
Different techniques for estimating seasonal water
use from soil profile water depletion frequently do not account for
flux below the root zone. Shallow water table contribution to supply
crop water use may be important in arid and semi-arid regions.
Development of predictive root uptake models, under influence of
shallow water table makes it possible for planners to incorporate
interaction between water table and root zone into design of irrigation
projects. A model for obtaining soil moisture depletion from root
zone and water movement below it is discussed with the objective to
determine impact of shallow water table on seasonal moisture
depletion patterns under water table depth variation, up to the bottom
of root zone. The role of different boundary conditions has also been
considered. Three crops: Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Corn (Zea
mays) and Potato (Solanum tuberosum), common in arid & semi-arid
regions, are chosen for the study. Using experimentally obtained soil
moisture depletion values for potential soil moisture conditions,
moisture depletion patterns using a non linear root uptake model have
been obtained for different water table depths. Comparative analysis
of the moisture depletion patterns under these conditions show a wide
difference in percent depletion from different layers of root zone
particularly top and bottom layers with middle layers showing
insignificant variation in moisture depletion values. Moisture
depletion in top layer, when the water table rises to root zone
increases by 19.7%, 22.9% & 28.2%, whereas decrease in bottom
layer is 68.8%, 61.6% & 64.9% in case of wheat, corn & potato
respectively. The paper also discusses the causes and consequences
of increase in moisture depletion from top layers and exceptionally
high reduction in bottom layer, and the possible remedies for the
same. The numerical model developed for the study can be used to
help formulating irrigation strategies for areas where shallow
groundwater of questionable quality is an option for crop production.
[1] Ayars, J.E. & Hutmacher, R.B., "Crop Coefficients for Irrigating Cotton
in the Presence of Groundwater", Irrigation Science 15(1), 1994, pp 45-
52.
[2] Ayars, J.E. & Schoneman, R.A., "Managing Irrigation in Areas with a
Water Table", In: J.A. Replogle & K.G. Renard (Eds) Proceedings,
ASCE Irrigation and Drainage Specialty, 1984.
[3] Ayars, J.E. & Schoneman, R.A., "Use of Saline Water from a Shallow
Water Table by Cotton", Transactions of the ASAE 29, 1986, pp 1674-
1678.
[4] Carsel, R.F., and Parrish, R.S., "Developing Joint Probability
Distributions of Soil Water Retention Characteristics", Water Resources
Research, 24, 1988, pp 755-759.
[5] Celia, M.A., Bouloutas, E.T., and Zarba, R.L., "A General Mass
Conservative Numerical Solution for the Unsaturated Flow Equation",
Water Resources Research, 26, 1990, pp 1483-1496.
[6] Dogan, A., and Motz, L.H., "Saturated-Unsaturated 3D Groundwater
Model I: Development", Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 10(6),
2005, pp 492-504.
[7] Erie, L.J., French, O.F., and Harris, K., "Consumptive use of water by
crops in Arizona". Technical Bulletin, 169, Agricultural Experiment
Station, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1965.
[8] Feddes, R.A., Kotwalik, P.J., and Zaradny, H., "Simulation of Field
Water Use and Crop Yield", Centre for Agricultural Publishing and
Documentation, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 1978.
[9] Grismer M.E., Gates T.K., Hanson B.R., "Irrigation and Drainage
Strategies in Salinity Problem Areas", Calif Agric, 1988, pp 23-24.
[10] Hanson, B.R., "A Systems Approach to Drainage Reduction", Calif
Agric Sept-Oct, 1987, pp 19- 24.
[11] Israelsen, O.W., "Irrigation Principles and Practices", 3rd Ed., John
Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1962.
[12] Kruse, E.G., Young, D.A. & Champion, D.F., "Effects of Saline Water
Table on Corn Irrigation", In: C.G. Keyes & T.J. Ward (Eds)
Development and Management Aspects of Irrigation and drainage
Systems, 1965, pp. 444-453. [Proceedings of Specialty Conference ed.].
ASCE, New York, NY.
[13] Mualem, Y.A., "A New Model for Predicting the Hydraulic
Conductivity of Unsaturated Porous Media", Water Resources Research,
12, 1976, pp 513-522.
[14] Namken, L.N., Weigand, C.L. & Brown, R.O., "Water Use by Cotton
from Low And Moderately Saline Static Water Tables",. Agronomy
Journal 61, 1969, pp 305-310.
[15] Ojha, C.S.P., Rai, A.K., "Non Linear Root Water Uptake Model",
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 122, 1996, pp 198-202.
[16] Paniconi, C., Aldama, A.A., and Wood, E.F., "Numerical Evaluation of
Iterative and Numerical Methods for the Solution of the Non-Linear
Richards Equation", Water Resources Research, 27, 1991, pp 1147-
1163.
[17] Prasad, R., "A Linear Root Water Uptake Model", J. of Hydrology, 99,
1988, pp 297-306.
[18] Rhoades, J.D., Bingham, ET., Letey, J., Hoffman, G.J., Dedrick, A.R.,
Pinter, P.J. & Replogle, J.A., "Use of Saline Drainage Water for
Irrigation: Imperial Valley Study". Agricultural Water Management 16,
1989, pp 25-36.
[19] Richards, L.A., "Capillary Conduction of Liquids through Porous
Medium", Physics, 1, 1931, pp 318-333.
[20] Van Genuchten, M.T., "A Closed Form Equation for Predicting the
Hydraulic Conductivity of Unsaturated Soil." Soil Science Society of
America Journal, 44, 1980, pp 892-898.
[21] Wallender W.W., Grimes D.W., Henderson D.W., Stromberg L.K.,
"Estimating the Contribution of a Perched Water Table to the Seasonal
Evapotranspiration of Cotton", Agron J. 71, 1979, pp 1056-1060.
[22] Westcot D.W., "Reuse and Disposal of Higher Salinity Subsurface
Drainage Water - A Review", Agric Water Management 14, 1988, pp.
483-511.
[1] Ayars, J.E. & Hutmacher, R.B., "Crop Coefficients for Irrigating Cotton
in the Presence of Groundwater", Irrigation Science 15(1), 1994, pp 45-
52.
[2] Ayars, J.E. & Schoneman, R.A., "Managing Irrigation in Areas with a
Water Table", In: J.A. Replogle & K.G. Renard (Eds) Proceedings,
ASCE Irrigation and Drainage Specialty, 1984.
[3] Ayars, J.E. & Schoneman, R.A., "Use of Saline Water from a Shallow
Water Table by Cotton", Transactions of the ASAE 29, 1986, pp 1674-
1678.
[4] Carsel, R.F., and Parrish, R.S., "Developing Joint Probability
Distributions of Soil Water Retention Characteristics", Water Resources
Research, 24, 1988, pp 755-759.
[5] Celia, M.A., Bouloutas, E.T., and Zarba, R.L., "A General Mass
Conservative Numerical Solution for the Unsaturated Flow Equation",
Water Resources Research, 26, 1990, pp 1483-1496.
[6] Dogan, A., and Motz, L.H., "Saturated-Unsaturated 3D Groundwater
Model I: Development", Journal of Hydrologic Engineering, 10(6),
2005, pp 492-504.
[7] Erie, L.J., French, O.F., and Harris, K., "Consumptive use of water by
crops in Arizona". Technical Bulletin, 169, Agricultural Experiment
Station, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 1965.
[8] Feddes, R.A., Kotwalik, P.J., and Zaradny, H., "Simulation of Field
Water Use and Crop Yield", Centre for Agricultural Publishing and
Documentation, Wageningen, The Netherlands, 1978.
[9] Grismer M.E., Gates T.K., Hanson B.R., "Irrigation and Drainage
Strategies in Salinity Problem Areas", Calif Agric, 1988, pp 23-24.
[10] Hanson, B.R., "A Systems Approach to Drainage Reduction", Calif
Agric Sept-Oct, 1987, pp 19- 24.
[11] Israelsen, O.W., "Irrigation Principles and Practices", 3rd Ed., John
Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, 1962.
[12] Kruse, E.G., Young, D.A. & Champion, D.F., "Effects of Saline Water
Table on Corn Irrigation", In: C.G. Keyes & T.J. Ward (Eds)
Development and Management Aspects of Irrigation and drainage
Systems, 1965, pp. 444-453. [Proceedings of Specialty Conference ed.].
ASCE, New York, NY.
[13] Mualem, Y.A., "A New Model for Predicting the Hydraulic
Conductivity of Unsaturated Porous Media", Water Resources Research,
12, 1976, pp 513-522.
[14] Namken, L.N., Weigand, C.L. & Brown, R.O., "Water Use by Cotton
from Low And Moderately Saline Static Water Tables",. Agronomy
Journal 61, 1969, pp 305-310.
[15] Ojha, C.S.P., Rai, A.K., "Non Linear Root Water Uptake Model",
Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 122, 1996, pp 198-202.
[16] Paniconi, C., Aldama, A.A., and Wood, E.F., "Numerical Evaluation of
Iterative and Numerical Methods for the Solution of the Non-Linear
Richards Equation", Water Resources Research, 27, 1991, pp 1147-
1163.
[17] Prasad, R., "A Linear Root Water Uptake Model", J. of Hydrology, 99,
1988, pp 297-306.
[18] Rhoades, J.D., Bingham, ET., Letey, J., Hoffman, G.J., Dedrick, A.R.,
Pinter, P.J. & Replogle, J.A., "Use of Saline Drainage Water for
Irrigation: Imperial Valley Study". Agricultural Water Management 16,
1989, pp 25-36.
[19] Richards, L.A., "Capillary Conduction of Liquids through Porous
Medium", Physics, 1, 1931, pp 318-333.
[20] Van Genuchten, M.T., "A Closed Form Equation for Predicting the
Hydraulic Conductivity of Unsaturated Soil." Soil Science Society of
America Journal, 44, 1980, pp 892-898.
[21] Wallender W.W., Grimes D.W., Henderson D.W., Stromberg L.K.,
"Estimating the Contribution of a Perched Water Table to the Seasonal
Evapotranspiration of Cotton", Agron J. 71, 1979, pp 1056-1060.
[22] Westcot D.W., "Reuse and Disposal of Higher Salinity Subsurface
Drainage Water - A Review", Agric Water Management 14, 1988, pp.
483-511.
@article{"International Journal of Biological, Life and Agricultural Sciences:60183", author = "Vijay Shankar", title = "Effect of Shallow Groundwater Table on the Moisture Depletion Pattern in Crop Root Zone", abstract = "Different techniques for estimating seasonal water
use from soil profile water depletion frequently do not account for
flux below the root zone. Shallow water table contribution to supply
crop water use may be important in arid and semi-arid regions.
Development of predictive root uptake models, under influence of
shallow water table makes it possible for planners to incorporate
interaction between water table and root zone into design of irrigation
projects. A model for obtaining soil moisture depletion from root
zone and water movement below it is discussed with the objective to
determine impact of shallow water table on seasonal moisture
depletion patterns under water table depth variation, up to the bottom
of root zone. The role of different boundary conditions has also been
considered. Three crops: Wheat (Triticum aestivum), Corn (Zea
mays) and Potato (Solanum tuberosum), common in arid & semi-arid
regions, are chosen for the study. Using experimentally obtained soil
moisture depletion values for potential soil moisture conditions,
moisture depletion patterns using a non linear root uptake model have
been obtained for different water table depths. Comparative analysis
of the moisture depletion patterns under these conditions show a wide
difference in percent depletion from different layers of root zone
particularly top and bottom layers with middle layers showing
insignificant variation in moisture depletion values. Moisture
depletion in top layer, when the water table rises to root zone
increases by 19.7%, 22.9% & 28.2%, whereas decrease in bottom
layer is 68.8%, 61.6% & 64.9% in case of wheat, corn & potato
respectively. The paper also discusses the causes and consequences
of increase in moisture depletion from top layers and exceptionally
high reduction in bottom layer, and the possible remedies for the
same. The numerical model developed for the study can be used to
help formulating irrigation strategies for areas where shallow
groundwater of questionable quality is an option for crop production.", keywords = "Moisture Depletion, crop root zone, ground water
table, irrigation.", volume = "6", number = "12", pages = "1131-6", }