Beirut Arab University

Faculty of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

CVEE 602
WATER RESOURCES
SaltMed Model
Eng. Hilal Obeid
Beirut-Fall 2014

Introduction
To save water in agriculture works, both farmers and
agricultural agencies started changing irrigation strategies
by using surface and subsurface drip irrigation. This could
save irrigation water while maintaining a satisfactory
production level.
Important methods to save irrigation water and increase
crop water productivity (CWP) are regulated deficit irrigation
(RDI).
Regulated Deficit Irrigation System, RTI
RDI, is a method of water conservation where the crops are
deliberately exposed to some degree of deficit irrigation
through all or certain growth stages and defined as an
optimization strategy in which irrigation is applied during
non-drought-sensitive growth stages of a crop.
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SaltMed Model
Investigation of the salinity and moisture distribution under
RDI and PRD for a wide range of water salinities, irrigation
strategies, few models adopt irrigation management as an
integrated approach that accounts for water, crop, soil and
field management e.g :
1.
2.
3.
4.

Infiltration models
Root water uptake models
Water and solute transport models
Specific application models

Application of Model
This model can help not only in irrigation scheduling,
estimating crop water requirements and irrigation water
conservation but can also be used to predict yield and soil
salinization.
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SaltMed Model
Purpose:
The approach should consider:
(i) soil hydraulic properties/infiltrability, which affects water and solute
movement.
(ii) crop salt tolerance levels at various stages, selection of the most
tolerant crop and application of highly saline water during the less
sensitive stage is crucial.
(iii) applying the appropriate water management strategy, blending with
fresh water or alternative use of fresh water at the most sensitive stage
and the saline one for the less sensitive stages.
(iv) selecting the most appropriate irrigation system.
(v) conducting a proper calculation of crop and leaching water
requirements which are essential for water saving, controlling water
table level, controlling drainage volume, and of course final yield.
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Default Data in the Data Base

The model has three built-in databases:
1. Crop database (based largely on the FAO papers 48,
1992, FAO-56, 1998), contains different crops, trees
and shrubs (200) from different regions, duration of
each growth stage, sowing and harvest dates, Kc and
Kcb values for each growth stage maximum height and
maximum rooting depth.
2. Soils database contains the hydraulic characteristics
and solute transport parameters of more than 40 different
soil types.
3. Irrigation system database contains information on the
wetting fraction and the frequency of application of ten
irrigation systems.
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Model Results & Discussions

The model output is given as text and graphical files. These
include horizontal and vertical distribution of soil moisture,
soil salinity, relative concentration, soil matric potential
profiles and time series of reference, crop transpiration, bare
soil evaporation, leaching requirements, irrigation amounts,
Kc, Kcb, root depth and final yield.

copyright hilal_obeid_@hotmail.com 2013

17/12/2015

Model Results & Discussions

Model Results & Discussions

Basic Equations

Basic Equations

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Results/Samples
Obtained Results
1. Evaluate moisture and salt distribution at different
depths under surface drip irrigation with deficit irrigation
treatment.
2. Predict soil water content and salt distribution and its
impact on yield at different irrigation water quality using
Saltmed Model.
3. Can be used to calibrate the crop coefficient factor for a
specific crop under existing climate, soil & water
conditions.
4. Irrigation scheduling.
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Study Case
Objective: is to predict the crop
yield variance in response to
salinity of irrigation water for
Potato at known conditions of
climate, soil & irrigation system.
Goals: is to apply a saline /
brackish water for irrigation of
Potato with keeping efficient
crop yield as possible.

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Potato General Information

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Meteorological Data Input

ETo Calculate from Pan Factor

ETo Calculate from Climate Data

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Irrigation Data Input

Fw : Fraction of soil wetted by

irrigation.
Frequency : Irrigation Frequency
(days)
Numerical
Stability
Factor:
Recommended not to change the
value (Model Run Stability)
First Case : Irrigation with Fresh
Water, Salinity = 0.4 ds/m.
Second Case : Irrigation with
Saline Water, Salinity = 1.5 ds/m.
Third Case : Irrigation with Saline
Water, Salinity = 3.0 ds/m.
Forth Case : Irrigation with Saline
Water, Salinity = 4.0 ds/m.
Fifth Case : Irrigation with Saline
Water, Salinity = 5.0 ds/m.
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Crop Parameters Input

Kc : Crop Coefficient.
Kcb: Basal Crop Coefficient
Fc : fraction of soil surface covered
by vegetation at diff. stages of
growth.

50: Plant Osmotic Pressure Factor

at diff. stages of growth.
Unstressed Crop Yield (ton/hec) : is
the max. yield obtained under no
climate or irrigation stress for a
specific location.
Note: in our Study Case the
unstressed potato yield for a field in
Reyak Bekaa is 35 ton/hec.

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Crop Parameters Input

Growing Stages Length : can be obtained

from the agricultural data book or FAO 56
paper.
Kc & Max Crop Hyt : can be obtained from
the agricultural data book or FAO 56 paper.

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Crop Parameters Input

- The initial stage runs from planting date to approximately 10% ground cover .
- The crop development stage runs from 10% ground cover to effective full cover.
-The mid-season stage runs from effective full cover to the start of maturity.
- The late season stage runs from the start of maturity to harvest or full senescence.

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Soil Parameters Input

Kc : Crop Coefficient.
Kcb: Basal Crop Coefficient
Fc : fraction of soil surface covered
by vegetation at diff. stages of
growth.

50:

is the time-dependent value

of osmotic Pressure at which max
water uptake Smax(t) is reduced
50% at different stages of growth .

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Soil Data file, Run, Drainage, Eff.Rainfall Options

Notes:

1- you can enter more than one

soil layer according to the crop
root depth.
2- incase of existing impervious
layer under the root zone you
have to select Basal Drainage as
impervious.
3- It is recommended to let the
model calculate the effective
rainfall.
4- Latitude, Longitude & site
elevation are the geographic data
for the field.

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Model Parameters

Notes:

1- Vertical Extend (m) is the vertical

distance that the model will show the
result at. It should be equal to the
selected horizon (m) of the soil layer.
2- It is not recommended to change the
Temporal
Parameter
(Maximum
timestep & back end duration). Its
change may cause problems of the
model run.
3- Kr is the soil evaporation reduction
coefficient.
4- H50 is the matric pressure at which
Smax(t) is reduced by 50%.

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Set Output Results

Notes:
1- Since SaltMed is a data base model, you have to check your computer properties that satisfy the
model requirement (IT advice).
2- you may face a problem during running the model and will receive a message that there is an error.
This message is indication that the model is unable to run all the selected result options together so
you may need to run each one or two options each time not more.
3- During running you will see the result dialogue box as shown processing day by day & plotting the
results.

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Predicted Crop Yield

Observations:

Irrigation Water with Salinity S=0.4 ds/m

1- During the first 10 days of growing the crop

is not sensitive to water deficit.
2- The crop water need is max during the
Development Stage and begin to decrease
during the following mid-season & harvest
stages.
3- Potato yield is sensitive to water salinity
since the yield is reduced from 21 ton/hec for
fresh water (S=0.4ds/m) to reach 11, 7.5, 6 &
4.5 ton/hec respectively for saline water of
salinity 1.5, 3, 4 & 5 ds/m.

Irrigation Water with Salinity S=1.5 ds/m

4- The occasional wide gap between the

maximum (fresh water, case 1) and actual
water uptake of
case 4 (saline water,
S=4ds/m) reflects the effect of salinity stress on
the uptake and correspondingly on crop yield
under the same conditions of climate &
location.

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Predicted Crop Yield

Observations:

Irrigation Water with Salinity S=3 ds/m

5- The gap between potential root uptake &

actual water uptake is an indication that the
climate & soil conditions is not the ideal for
obtaining the unstressed crop yield of 35 ton/hec.

Potato Yield vs Water Salinity for Specific Conditions

25
20
Potato Yield

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Irrigation Water with Salinity S=4 ds/m

10
5
0

3
Water Salinity

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Evaporation & Crop Parameters

Observations:
6- At the beginning of the growing season bare
soil evaporation is more dominant than crop
transpiration but becomes negligible when the
crop reaches its maximum canopy cover at
which the Kcb reaches its maximum value and
the crop transpiration becomes more dominant
until the beginning of the late stage of the
growth.
This is followed by a decline in crop
transpiration and rise in bare soil evaporation
until the harvest day where the transpiration
becomes zero and bare soil evaporation
becomes the main component of the ETc.
7- The evolution of crop parameters Kc, Kcb
and root depth with time for the Potato are
shown clear.
8- You can make calibration for the Kc & Kcb if
you have historical accurate data for irrigation,
climate, soil & actual crop yield.

Soil Salinity Distribution Under Trickle line

Observations:
9- These figures show the evolution of soil
salinity and the change of the wet bulb size
over the four months period. One can notice
that there is a significant increase in soil
salinity from the initial value of soil salinity 0.03
ds/m on start.
10- Leaching requirements should be applied
Before the next season because the soil
salinity level exceeds the critical threshold
value specified in the curve of Yield vs Salinity.

Irrigation & Leaching Requirement

Observations:
11- The daily irrigation amount as well as the
total seasonal amount are shown in this figure.

Conclusion:
Generally the use of saline water for irrigation requires a selection of appropriate salt tolerant crops and
an improvement in water management and maintenance of soil physical properties to ensure adequate
soil permeability to meet leaching requirements.
As such an integrated approach is the way forward to facilitate the use of saline waters for irrigation, to
minimize drainage disposal problems and to maximize the beneficial use of multiple water sources. Soil
Stalinization is a long-term process, long duration experiments, as well as robust comprehensive, rather
than single-process orientated models are required for long-term predictions. The SALTMED model has
been developed to meet these challenges
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End of SaltMed Model

Now you can launch a research using Saltmed to put most
efficient irrigation schedule for limited known water
resource
References : FAO 56 & FAO 29 Papers
National Eng. Hand book-Part 623
Irrigation Guide 652

Prepared By: Eng. Hilal Obeid

Email: hilal_obeid_@hotmail.com
Mobile : 03-521811, 70-521811
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