abstract
Plant root water and nutrient uptake is one of the most important processes in subsurface
unsaturated flow and transport modeling, as root uptake controls actual plant evapotranspiration,
water recharge and nutrient leaching to the groundwater, and exerts a major
influence on predictions of global climate models. In general, unsaturated models describe
root uptake relatively simple. For example, root water uptake is mostly uncompensated and
nutrient uptake is simulated assuming that all uptake is passive, through the water uptake
pathway only. We present a new compensated root water and nutrient uptake model, implemented
in HYDRUS. The so-called root adaptability factor represents a threshold value above
which reduced root water or nutrient uptake in water- or nutrient-stressed parts of the root
zone is fully compensated for by increased uptake in other soil regions that are less stressed.
Using a critical value of the water stress index, water uptake compensation is proportional
to the water stress response function. Total root nutrient uptake is determined from the total
of active and passive nutrient uptake. The partitioning between passive and active uptake
is controlled by the a priori defined concentration value cmax. Passive nutrient uptake is
simulated by multiplying root water uptake with the dissolved nutrient concentration, for
soil solution concentration values below cmax. Passive nutrient uptake is thus zero when
cmax is equal to zero. As the active nutrient uptake is obtained from the difference between
plant nutrient demand and passive nutrient uptake (using Michaelis–Menten kinetics), the
presented model thus implies that reduced passive nutrient uptake is compensated for by
active nutrient uptake. In addition, the proposed root uptake model includes compensation
for active nutrient uptake, in a similar way as used for root water uptake. The proposed
root water and nutrient uptake model is demonstrated by several hypothetical examples,
for plants supplied by water due to capillary rise from groundwater and surface drip
irrigation.
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