Prediction of salt transport in different soil textures under drip irrigation in an arid zone using the SWAGMAN Destiny model

Abstract

In recent years, Xinjiang Oasis has faced a major challenge of increasing risk of secondary salinization caused by drip irrigation under plastic mulch. Predicting the salt balance is therefore essential for understanding how to sustain the use of salinized land in this arid area. This research validated the SWAGMAN (Salt, Water And Groundwater MANagement) Destiny model to simulate and forecast the movement of salt in different soil textures based on field experiments. The results were verified with extensive field work in Shihutan, Xinjiang, China. They show that soil salinity decreases in the upper layers and increases in the bottom layers of the investigated soil profile. The desalinization rate in sand, which shows an overall steady trend throughout the soil profile, is generally higher than that in loam and clay. The depth of 60cm is critical for loam and clay; soil salinity decreases above it but increases below it. Model sensitivity analysis reveals the variation of soil salinity is independent of the initial electrical conductivity setting of SWAGMAN Destiny simulations. This study indicates that numerical modelling is a useful approach for efficiently estimating the salt balance under drip irrigation. The result provides a scientific basis for making adaptive strategies to manage salinised farmlands in arid zones.