Irrigation and Water Engineering

Irrigation and Water Engineering

Sensitivity Analysis and Evaluation of the AquaCrop Model for Simulating Water productivity and Yield of Roselle

Document Type : Original Article

Author
faculty member of university of zabol
10.22125/iwe.2026.599630.1945
Abstract
The present study aimed to calibrate, validate, and conduct a sensitivity analysis of the AquaCrop crop model for simulating yield and irrigation water use efficiency of roselle under different irrigation and potassium fertilizer levels. The field experiment was conducted as a split-plot design based on a randomized complete block design with three replications in , Sistan and Baluchestan, Iran, during 2018 and 2019. Treatments consisted of four irrigation levels corresponding to 40, 60, 80, and 100% of crop water requirement and three potassium fertilizer levels corresponding to 50, 75, and 100 of the recommended potassium requirement. The sensitivity of the model to the parameters WP*, KcTrx, CC₀, CGC, CDC, and HI was evaluated using the method proposed by Beven (1979). During calibration, the values of R², RMSE, and RE for yield were 0.99, 25.17 kg ha⁻¹, and 5.36%, respectively, while the corresponding values for irrigation water use efficiency were 0.96, 0.05 kg m⁻³, and 10.21%, respectively. During validation, these values were 0.97, 29.14 kg ha⁻¹, and 7.51% for yield and 0.95, 0.07 kg m⁻³, and 14.29% for irrigation water use efficiency, respectively. The sensitivity coefficients for WP*, HI, KcTrx, CGC, CC₀, and CDC ranged from 0.74 to 0.95, 0.67 to 0.87, 0.53 to 0.81, 0.38 to 0.57, 0.032 to 0.084, and −0.063 to −0.043, respectively. The AquaCrop showed the highest sensitivity to WP*, followed by HI and KcTrx. The calibration and validation results also indicated that the model provided satisfactory accuracy in simulating roselle yield and irrigation water use efficiency.
Keywords
Subjects


Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 26 September 2026