SALTMED Model as an Integrated Management Tool for Water, Crop, Soil and N-Fertilizer Water Management Strategies and Productivity: Field and Simulation Study†

This paper is a follow-up from a paper which described the SALTMED model. In this paper the focus is on the model application,using data of tomato and potato from field experiments in Italy, Greece (Crete) and Serbia. Drip full irrigation, drip deficit irrigation, drip as partial root drying (PRD), sprinkler and furrow irrigation were used in the 3-yr experiment between 2006 and 2008. In drip-irrigated experiments, the drip line was 10–12 cm below the surface. Dry matter, final yield, soil moisture and soil nitrogen were successfully simulated. The study showed that there is a great potential for saving water when using subsurface drip, PRD or drip deficit irrigation compared with sprinkler and furrow irrigation. Depending on the crop and irrigation system, the amount of fresh water that can be saved could vary between 14 and 44%. PRD and deficit drip irrigation have proved to be the most efficient water application strategies with the highest water productivity.