Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District
The agricultural region of Karamay in northern Xinjiang, China, faces serious challenges to agricultural sustainability due to primary salinization, arid climatic conditions and a lack of effective drainage systems. To evaluate the influence of groundwater depth and salinity on soil salinization and...
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| Language: | English |
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Elsevier
2025-08-01
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| Series: | Agricultural Water Management |
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| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425003257 |
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| author | Jiawei Ren Tongkai Guo Changyan Tian Wenxuan Mai Xiaomin Mao |
| author_facet | Jiawei Ren Tongkai Guo Changyan Tian Wenxuan Mai Xiaomin Mao |
| author_sort | Jiawei Ren |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The agricultural region of Karamay in northern Xinjiang, China, faces serious challenges to agricultural sustainability due to primary salinization, arid climatic conditions and a lack of effective drainage systems. To evaluate the influence of groundwater depth and salinity on soil salinization and analyze the sustainability of agricultural development, this study employed a three-dimensional (3D) water and solute transport model (FEFLOW) to simulate water-salt dynamics in both groundwater and vadose zones across cropland, forest land, and desert. The model was calibrated and validated using 2006–2021 data, showing good agreement with observed groundwater levels (R²=0.70, RMSE=0.27 m), groundwater salinity (R²=0.72, RMSE=2.08 dS/m), and soil salinity (R²=0.71, RMSE=0.56 dS/m). Results demonstrate that during the early stage of irrigation district development (2006–2010), flood irrigation effectively leached salts and mitigated salinization, but also caused a rapid rise in groundwater levels. The subsequent adoption of water-saving irrigation slowed the groundwater rise, but due to its limited leaching capacity and strong evaporation, salt accumulated in the surface soil, intensifying salinization phenomenon. The study reveals that groundwater depth and salinity significantly influence soil salinity distribution, with agricultural development playing a critical role in regional water-salt dynamics. Scenario simulations for 2022–2030 indicate continued groundwater rise to an average of 1.7 m and a 20 % increase in surface soil salinity under current irrigation practices. These findings highlight the unsustainability of current water management and emphasize the urgent need for measures, such as effective drainage systems, or cultivation of salt-tolerant crops to ensure sustainable agricultural development. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-8c75548cf3a2463c9a45cfc8b98d7e9c |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 1873-2283 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-08-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Agricultural Water Management |
| spelling | doaj-art-8c75548cf3a2463c9a45cfc8b98d7e9c2025-08-20T03:56:08ZengElsevierAgricultural Water Management1873-22832025-08-0131710961110.1016/j.agwat.2025.109611Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation DistrictJiawei Ren0Tongkai Guo1Changyan Tian2Wenxuan Mai3Xiaomin Mao4Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Efficient Water Use of Oasis Agriculture in Wuwei of Gansu Province, Wuwei 733000, ChinaCenter for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Efficient Water Use of Oasis Agriculture in Wuwei of Gansu Province, Wuwei 733000, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaState Key Laboratory of Desert and Oasis Ecology, Xinjiang Institute of Ecology and Geography, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Urumqi 830011, ChinaCenter for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China; National Field Scientific Observation and Research Station on Efficient Water Use of Oasis Agriculture in Wuwei of Gansu Province, Wuwei 733000, China; Corresponding author at: Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China.The agricultural region of Karamay in northern Xinjiang, China, faces serious challenges to agricultural sustainability due to primary salinization, arid climatic conditions and a lack of effective drainage systems. To evaluate the influence of groundwater depth and salinity on soil salinization and analyze the sustainability of agricultural development, this study employed a three-dimensional (3D) water and solute transport model (FEFLOW) to simulate water-salt dynamics in both groundwater and vadose zones across cropland, forest land, and desert. The model was calibrated and validated using 2006–2021 data, showing good agreement with observed groundwater levels (R²=0.70, RMSE=0.27 m), groundwater salinity (R²=0.72, RMSE=2.08 dS/m), and soil salinity (R²=0.71, RMSE=0.56 dS/m). Results demonstrate that during the early stage of irrigation district development (2006–2010), flood irrigation effectively leached salts and mitigated salinization, but also caused a rapid rise in groundwater levels. The subsequent adoption of water-saving irrigation slowed the groundwater rise, but due to its limited leaching capacity and strong evaporation, salt accumulated in the surface soil, intensifying salinization phenomenon. The study reveals that groundwater depth and salinity significantly influence soil salinity distribution, with agricultural development playing a critical role in regional water-salt dynamics. Scenario simulations for 2022–2030 indicate continued groundwater rise to an average of 1.7 m and a 20 % increase in surface soil salinity under current irrigation practices. These findings highlight the unsustainability of current water management and emphasize the urgent need for measures, such as effective drainage systems, or cultivation of salt-tolerant crops to ensure sustainable agricultural development.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425003257Soil salinizationGroundwater levelWater and salt transportSustainable agricultural developmentFEFLOW™ |
| spellingShingle | Jiawei Ren Tongkai Guo Changyan Tian Wenxuan Mai Xiaomin Mao Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District Agricultural Water Management Soil salinization Groundwater level Water and salt transport Sustainable agricultural development FEFLOW™ |
| title | Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District |
| title_full | Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District |
| title_fullStr | Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District |
| title_full_unstemmed | Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District |
| title_short | Modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in Karamay Irrigation District |
| title_sort | modeling water and salt migration in groundwater and vadose zones to assess agricultural sustainability in karamay irrigation district |
| topic | Soil salinization Groundwater level Water and salt transport Sustainable agricultural development FEFLOW™ |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425003257 |
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