Sensitivity analysis of the AquaCrop parameters for rainfed corn in the South of Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this work was to perform a sensitivity analysis of the main input parameters required for the AquaCrop water balance model, using biomass and grain yield data of a rainfed-simulated corn crop, obtained along the climate data series of 1987–2016 in the South of Brazil. The levels of soil-water stress and the depths of maximum effective rooting were the input parameters that most affected the biomass and grain yields simulated by the model, followed by the crop coefficient, water-use efficiency, soil water storage capacity, and contribution of groundwater to water availability in the root zone. The parameters crop cycle duration, plant density, pattern of soil-water extraction, and field surface practices showed little or no impact on the final results. AquaCrop is a robust water balance model, with small or moderate general sensitivity to variations of the main input parameter values, which makes it applicable to situations with field data limitations.