Effects of the micro-scale advection on the soil water movement in micro-irrigated fields

The objective of this study was to explore the soil water dynamics under micro-advective conditions. A numerical model was introduced to estimate the airflow turbulence generated by the crop canopy. The vapor pressure and air temperature in the vicinity of the soil surface were estimated from the wind velocity predicted by this model. The energy budget on the soil surface was estimated using wind velocity, vapor pressure, and air temperature simulated by numerical models. The soil water content and temperature were predicted using the simulation model describing the water and heat transfer in soil. Using the energy budget, the accuracy of this model was experimentally verified using a wind tunnel. Spatial changes of the soil water content simulated by this model were reproduced by the experiment. This indicated that the numerical model for estimating the soil water movement under micro-scale advection considering the crop body was satisfactory.