Modeling soil water dynamics of an intensively cultivated histosol

Abstract

Abstract Understanding soil–water dynamics in cultivated organic soils (histosols) is crucial for sustainable agriculture, ecosystem preservation, and climate change mitigation. Data on the soil water retention curves (SWRCs) of these histosols in Canada are not readily available in the literature. The Hydrus‐1D model was used to predict SWRCs for a cultivated organic soil in Quebec. The model was validated with matric potential measured in a soil column at 10, 26, and 48 cm. The optimized hydraulic parameters in the Hydrus model resulted in field capacity moisture contents of 0.6, 0.696, and 0.49 cm3 cm−3 at the three depths, respectively. Wilting point moisture contents of 0.165, 0.107, and 0.14 cm3 cm−3 were obtained at the same depths. Model accuracy was confirmed with a Nash–Sutcliffe efficiency of 0.76, 0.91, and 0.78 for the three depths, respectively. These findings can inform decisions regarding water management practices such as irrigation and drainage requirements for intensively cultivated organic soils.