Integrated Water and Nitrogen Fertilizer Management Using Modeling of System Dynamics Approach in Sugarcane Farmlands with Subsurface Drainage Systems

Using water and fertilizer management at the farm level can be increased water use efficiency and reduce the volume of drainage water, fertilizer losses, and other pollutants in farmland with deep underground drains such as Khuzestan agro-industrial Companies. In the present study, a comprehensive simulation model for the water cycle and the nitrogen dynamics modeling was used for water and fertilizer management modeling on farmland of sugarcane in Imam Agro-Industrial Company using a system dynamics approach. To reduce irrigation water consumption and nitrogen fertilizer losses, five different scenarios were considered including four scenarios of water management consist of 5, 10, 15, and 20 percent reduction in the amount of irrigation water (I1, I2, I3, and I4) compared to the current situation of irrigation in Imam agro-industrial Company (I0), and one scenario of integrated water and fertilizer management (20% reduction in the amount of irrigation water and urea fertilizer 210 Kg/ha, I4F). The results of modeling showed that the scenario of I4F caused to reduce 31, 70, 71, 70, and 85 percent of the cumulative volume of drainage water, cumulative nitrate and ammonium losses, total losses of cumulative nitrate, and ammonium by tile-drain and cumulative losses of denitrification process, respectively. Thus, the implementation of this scenario, not only saves water and fertilizer consumption but also reduces environmental pollution effectively. So the scenario of I4F (amount of irrigation water for six months 2656 mm and urea fertilizer 210 Kg/ha) is recommended for sugarcane in the Imam agro-industrial Company.