Model validation and crop coefficients for irrigation scheduling in the North China plain

ISAREG is a model for simulation and evaluation of irrigation scheduling. The model performs the soil water balance and evaluates impacts of water stress on yields for different crops. It is now being used to support a water saving irrigation scheduling program in a pilot area in the North China plain. This paper reports on the calibration and validation of the model using independent data sets relative to winter wheat and summer maize. Data are originated from the Wangdu experimental station and concern a set of drainage lysimeters where diverse irrigation treatments were applied representing different strategies of deficit irrigation. The calibration of the model was performed by deriving the crop coefficients adapted to the local climatic conditions, and considering the soil freezing during winter. The validation of the model was performed using different data sets. Results show that the relative errors to estimate the soil water content averaged 5.3% for summer maize and 7.3% for the winter wheat. These results support the use of the model in the practice.