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Dynamic Modeling of Soil Water Dynamics and Nitrogen Species Transport with Multi-Crop Rotations Under Variable-Saturated Conditions

Author

Listed:
  • Vilim Filipović

    (School of Agriculture and Food Sustainability, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
    Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Dragutin Petošić

    (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Ivan Mustać

    (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Igor Bogunović

    (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

  • Hailong He

    (College of Natural Resources and Environment, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
    Department of Soil Science, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB R3T 2N2, Canada)

  • Lana Filipović

    (Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, 10000 Zagreb, Croatia)

Abstract

Excessive application of nitrogen (N) fertilizers in agriculture poses significant environmental risks, notably nitrate leaching into groundwater. This study evaluates soil water dynamics and the transport of urea, ammonium, and nitrate under variable-saturated conditions in a long-term experimental field in Croatia, Europe. Utilizing HYDRUS-1D and HYDRUS-2D models, we simulated water flow and nitrogen transformation and transport across six lysimeter-monitored locations over four years (2019–2023), incorporating diverse crop rotations and N addition. Key modeled processes included nitrification, urea hydrolysis, and nitrate leaching, integrating field-measured parameters and climatic conditions. The models achieved high reliability, with R 2 values for water flow ranging from 0.58 to 0.97 and for nitrate transport from 0.13 to 0.97; however, some cases reported lower reliability. Results revealed that nitrate leaching was influenced by precipitation patterns, soil moisture, crop growth stages, and fertilization timing. Peak nitrate losses were observed during early crop growth and post-harvest periods when elevated soil moisture and reduced plant uptake coincided. The findings highlight the importance of optimizing nitrogen application strategies to balance crop productivity and environmental protection. This research demonstrates the effectiveness of numerical modeling as a tool for sustainable nitrogen management and groundwater quality preservation in agricultural systems. It also indicates the need for further development by capturing some of the processes such as identification in the N cycle.

Suggested Citation

  • Vilim Filipović & Dragutin Petošić & Ivan Mustać & Igor Bogunović & Hailong He & Lana Filipović, 2025. "Dynamic Modeling of Soil Water Dynamics and Nitrogen Species Transport with Multi-Crop Rotations Under Variable-Saturated Conditions," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-24, February.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jlands:v:14:y:2025:i:2:p:315-:d:1583729
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    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Guo, Yanjie & Ji, Yanzhi & Zhang, Jie & Liu, Qiao & Han, Jian & Zhang, Lijuan, 2022. "Effects of water and nitrogen management on N2O emissions and NH3 volatilization from a vineyard in North China," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 266(C).
    2. Groenveld, Thomas & Argaman, Amir & Šimůnek, Jiří & Lazarovitch, Naftali, 2021. "Numerical modeling to optimize nitrogen fertigation with consideration of transient drought and nitrogen stress," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 254(C).
    3. Chen, Ning & Li, Xianyue & Šimůnek, Jiří & Shi, Haibin & Zhang, Yuehong & Hu, Qi, 2022. "Quantifying inter-species nitrogen competition in the tomato-corn intercropping system with different spatial arrangements," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 201(C).
    4. Wei Zhu & Ruiquan Qiao & Rui Jiang, 2022. "Modelling of Water and Nitrogen Flow in a Rain-Fed Ridge-Furrow Maize System with Plastic Mulch," Land, MDPI, vol. 11(9), pages 1-18, September.
    5. Filipović, Vilim & Romić, Davor & Romić, Marija & Borošić, Josip & Filipović, Lana & Mallmann, Fábio Joel Kochem & Robinson, David A., 2016. "Plastic mulch and nitrogen fertigation in growing vegetables modify soil temperature, water and nitrate dynamics: Experimental results and a modeling study," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 176(C), pages 100-110.
    6. Krevh, Vedran & Filipović, Lana & Petošić, Dragutin & Mustać, Ivan & Bogunović, Igor & Butorac, Jasminka & Kisić, Ivica & Defterdarović, Jasmina & Nakić, Zoran & Kovač, Zoran & Pereira, Paulo & He, Ha, 2023. "Long-term analysis of soil water regime and nitrate dynamics at agricultural experimental site: Field-scale monitoring and numerical modeling using HYDRUS-1D," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 275(C).
    7. Jasmina Defterdarović & Lana Filipović & Filip Kranjčec & Gabrijel Ondrašek & Diana Kikić & Alen Novosel & Ivan Mustać & Vedran Krevh & Ivan Magdić & Vedran Rubinić & Igor Bogunović & Ivan Dugan & Kre, 2021. "Determination of Soil Hydraulic Parameters and Evaluation of Water Dynamics and Nitrate Leaching in the Unsaturated Layered Zone: A Modeling Case Study in Central Croatia," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(12), pages 1-20, June.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

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