Impact of Soil Compaction Upon Water Balance and Maize Yield Estimated by the SIMWASER Model

The soil water balance model SIMWASER was tested with field data on soil compaction by wheel pressure and its effects on soil structure, water flows, and crop growth. The experiment was conducted on a loamy silt soil in the sub-alpine zone of Austria. The model, which simulates water balance and crop yields over numerous rotations and years as linked to the physiological processes of transpiration and assimilation, which occur in reaction to soil water availability. The hydraulic characteristics of the soil determine the availability of water to the root zone during periods of drought.