Journal of Hydrology, 45 (1980) 123--131 123

© Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam -- Printed in The Netherlands

[41

CALCULATION OF WATER BALANCE IN THE CROP ROOT ZONE BY

COMPUTER

P.B.S. S A R M A ' , N.H. R A O I and K.V.P. R A O 2

' Water Technology Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, N e w Delhi 110 012
(India)
=Indian Council of Agricultural Research Complex, Imphal, Manipur Centre (India)
(Received February 7, 1979; revised and accepted June 6, 1979)

ABSTRACT

Sarma, P.B.S., Rao, N.H. and Rao, K.V.P., 1980. Calculation of water balance in the crop
root zone by computer. J. Hydrol., 45: 123--131.

A computer programme was developed which computes the daily evapotranspiration as

a residue from the water balance equation. Moisture profiles from field observations of soil
moisture tensions are used as an input into the model. Further, the programme evaluates
the effects of rainfall or irrigation during the periods of observation and also calculates the
water loss from deep drainage. It takes care of the limitation in the availability of data due
to occasional skipping of records for two or more days at a stretch. The additional features
of this programme include the procedures for the computation of infiltration and the
moisture flow. The model was applied to actual field data and the results are presented.

INTRODUCTION

A n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e p r i n c i p l e s o f w a t e r m o v e m e n t in t h e c r o p r o o t z o n e
a n d a c o n t i n u o u s e v a l u a t i o n o f t h e storage a n d b a l a n c e o f soil m o i s t u r e are im-
p o r t a n t f o r e f f i c i e n t soil a n d w a t e r m a n a g e m e n t . Hillel ( 1 9 7 7 ) d e v e l o p e d
several m o d e l s f o r c a l c u l a t i o n o f e v a p o r a t i o n a n d soil m o i s t u r e p r o f i l e f r o m
a k n o w n initial, n o n - u n i f o r m m o i s t u r e d i s t r i b u t i o n u n d e r v a r y i n g c o n d i t i o n s
o f t e m p e r a t u r e , c r o p cover, sinusoidal diurnal v a r i a t i o n o f p o t e n t i a l e v a p o r a -
t i o n a n d rainfall o f f i x e d i n t e n s i t y o v e r finite periods. In this p a p e r a c o m -
p u t e r p r o g r a m m e is d e v e l o p e d w h i c h c o m p u t e s t h e m o i s t u r e p r o f i l e f r o m
field o b s e r v a t i o n s o f soil m o i s t u r e t e n s i o n s a n d e v a l u a t e s t h e daily e v a p o t r a n s -
p i r a t i o n as a residue f r o m t h e w a t e r b a l a n c e e q u a t i o n . F u r t h e r , t h e p r o g r a m m e
also e v a l u a t e s t h e e f f e c t s o f rainfall or irrigation d u r i n g t h e p e r i o d s o f observa-
t i o n a n d also c a l c u l a t e s t h e w a t e r loss f r o m d e e p drainage. I t t a k e s care o f t h e
l i m i t a t i o n in t h e availability o f d a t a d u e t o o c c a s i o n a l s k i p p i n g o f r e c o r d s f o r
t w o or m o r e d a y s at a stretch. T h e a d d i t i o n a l f e a t u r e s o f this p r o g r a m m e in-
clude the procedures for the computation of infiltration and the moisture
flow. T h i s m o d e l is c a p a b l e o f calculating:
124

(1) The soil moisture potential, soil moisture c o n t e n t and hydraulic conduc-
tivity at each of the depths where tensiometers were installed, for each day of
observation.
(2) The soil moisture potential difference, potential gradient, average con-
ductivity, average moisture content, and total soil moisture within the zone
between t w o consecutive depths for each day of observation.
(3) The change in storage and the flow across the zone between t w o con-
secutive depths during the period between two consecutive observation days.
(4) The a m o u n t of infiltration from rainfall or irrigation, together with
surface detention and runoff.
(5) The evapotranspiration from the water balance equation.

DESCRIPTION OF MODEL

The soil profile, divided into six zones each of 30 cm depth, is depicted in
Fig.1. Water m o v e m e n t between the zones is assumed to be in accordance with
Darcy's law. The inputs to the model are the records of tensiometer data and
the soil characteristics in the form of tension vs. moisture content curves,
separately for each of the six zones. The saturation conductivity of the soils
can be estimated from these curves. Hysteresis was neglected.

M=I

Zone I
1.5

N=2
BO

60 =
M;3

: o n e IXI

120 N:5
M:E

Zone ~ . _ .

150 N:6
M:6

Z o n e "~JZZ

180

FLR (6,J)

Fig. 1. Schematic representation o f soil zones.

 125

Daffy observed moisture tension records from tensiometers, installed t w o

at each depth, at the depths of 15, 30, 60, 90, 120, 150 and 180 cm, respec-
tively, below ground level were used in this study for an effective r o o t zone of
a b o u t 150 cm. The crop grown was maize, the season being "kharif", which
coincides with the normal wet m o n s o o n season. The necessary calibration data
of the relationships between tension and soil moisture content and between the
hydraulic conductivity and the soil moisture c o n t e n t were determined in the
laboratory for the soil samples drawn from the above mentioned depths from
the field (D. Rolston, pers. commun., 1972). From the record of tension ob-
servations, the values of soil moisture content and hydraulic conductivity are
evaluated using spline interpolation technique (Ahlberg et al., 1967). This
technique has been used in place of the more conventional linear interpolation
method owing to its relatively higher accuracy. The moisture content and
hydraulic conductivity are thus evaluated at each depth on each day. The soil
moisture potential, SMP(I), at Ith depth, is then calculated as the algebraic
sum of the tension and the depth values both expressed in centimeters.
The upper and lower boundaries of each of the six zones are identified by
the running indices M and N respectively. The average conditions in each zone
are then calculated as given below.
The soil moisture tension SMT(I), the soil moisture potential SMP(I), soil
moisture c o n t e n t SMC(I) and hydraulic conductivity HC(I) are estimated for
all zones, at their upper and lower boundaries except for the first zone. From
these values the potential difference between the upper and lower b o u n d a r y
SMPD, and consequently the hydraulic gradient GRAD(M,J), the average ten-
sion AVTEN, average conductivity AVEK(M,J), and average moisture content
AVESM(M,J) for the Mth zone were evaluated for the Jth observational day.
For the first zone, the tension, soil moisture content and the hydraulic gradi-
ent values are first estimated at its centre and the lower boundary. To c o m p u t e
the potential difference and the gradient within this zone, it is necessary to
know the soil moisture potential at its upper boundary. This has been obtained
in this model by calculating the tension at this boundary through linear extra-
polation, using the values at the centre and lower boundaries of the zone. The
known values of SMC(I) and HC(I) at the centre of the zone are taken to re-
present the average condition of the zone.
The total soil moisture in each zone is then calculated as a product of
average soil moisture and the length of the zone. The values of hydraulic gradi-
ent, average soil moisture and conductivity calculated above, for all zones, are
assigned as average values at the centre of the zone. The storage in the entire
profile, TSM(J), is then c o m p u t e d by adding together the total soil moisture in
the six zones. At the end of these calculations the moisture conditions in the
entire profile for each day of observation have been determined.
In the next stage, the flows and changes in storage for the time interval of
t w o consecutive observational days are computed.
Referring back to Fig.l, the flux across the lower boundary of each zone is
the flow in the reach lying between the centres of the zones on both sides of
126

the boundary, and is represented by FLR(M,J), given by:

FLR(M,J) = -~ [AVEK(M,J) + AVEK(M+I,J)], [GRAD(M,J)

+ GRAD(M+ 1,J)] (1)

This procedure is followed for the first five zones. For the 6th zone, the
following definition of flux was used:
FLR(6,J) = AVEK(6,J)*GRAD(6,J) (2)
These flow rates are calculated for each zone for each day. The volume of
flow, FLOW(M,J) that has accrued between the Jth day and the consecutive ob-
servational day (Fig.2) in each zone, is then the product of the average of the

J,ND(J) J4-1,ND(J+l J+2,ND (J+2) J*3,ND(J÷3)

XIR(J*I
XIR(J )
___L_
__ XIR(J+ 2 XIR (J+ 3)

I P(J+I) P(J+ 2) P(J+3)

]E

~ DS180(J)- DS180(J÷l)" "DS180(J*2)" ~-~

iv

FLR(6,J) 1 FLR(6,J*I ; FLR(6,J÷2) l FLR (6,J+ 3)

FLOW(6, J ) FLOW(6, J ÷1 ) FLOW(6,J÷ 2 )

~:'LR(6,J)+FLR(6,J+I~ (NO(J,,1) - ND(J))

FLOW(6,J )
2

Fig.2. Definition sketch for the terms R(J), XIR(J), FLR(G,J), DS180(J) and FLOW(6,J).

flow rates FLR{M,J) for these two days and the actual time interval between
them. Thus:
FLOW(M,J) = 1 [FLR(M,J) + FLR(M,J+I)] , [ N D ( J + I ) - N D ( J ) ] (3)
Where ND(J) represents the serial number of the calendar day of Jth obser-
vation. The change in moisture storage in the profile, DS180(J), during the
interval between the Jth and the next observation is the difference in the values
of total storage, TSM(J) and TSM(J+I), for the two consecutive observational
days, or:
DSlS0(J) = TSM(J+I)-TSM(J) (4)
In the above definition of FLOW(M,J) and DS180(J) and henceforth in the
 127

programme, J no longer refers to the actual observational day b u t becomes the

index of the interval between the J t h and the next observation.
In the absence of any inputs of water like rainfall or irrigation, the change
in storage is accounted for b y the drainage and evapotranspiration (ET).
Drainage is calculated as FLOW(6,J). The value of ET contributed from the
total soil profile during the Jth interval denoted by ET180(J), can be c o m p u t e d
from the change in storage for the soil column (0--180 cm) and the drainage:
E T l S 0 ( J ) = - [ D S 1 8 0 ( J ) + FLOW(6,J)] (5)
If a rainfall occurs or irrigation is applied during a particular time period,
then it becomes necessary to account for infiltration as this would be a major
factor contributing to storage. Irrigation given on Jth day will account for
storage change between Jth and ( J + l ) t h day. For rainfall, however, the rain
that has occurred between J t h and ( J + l ) t h days is recorded only on ( J + l ) t h
day (Fig.2). This has to be borne in mind at the time of computing infiltration.
In addition, there could be some detention (DETN) carried over from the pre-
vious day, which must be taken into account. If the actual time interval be-
tween J t h and ( J + l ) t h observation is more than one day, then all the rain that
has occurred during this interval is summed up and assigned to ( J + l ) t h day.
The rainfall or irrigation values along with the detention, if any, are com-
pared with the infiltration capacity and detention capacity of the soft, respec-
tively.
The extent of infiltration, INF(J), depends on the initial moisture conditions.
The infiltration capacity for each day is calculated as the flow between an as-
sumed saturated layer at the t o p and the layer at 15 cm depth for which the
potential, SMPID(J), is known. For this purpose the saturated conductivity
(SATCON) is obtained from the soil characteristic curves and the infiltration
capacity for the day of the observation is calculated as:
SMPID(J) = SMP(1) for Jth day
[AVEK(1,J) + SATCON]
FC(1) = [ 0 - S M P I D ( J ) ] * (6)
2*[D(1)]
Similarly, the value FC(2) for the next observational day is calculated. The
average infiltration capacity AINCAP is then c o m p u t e d as:

1 [FC(1) + FC(2)]
AINCAP = -~ (7)
A detention capacity is arbitrarily assigned to the soil surface. The evapo-
transpiration per day from the soil column of length 180 cm, is calculated
from the ~ a t e r balance equation as:
[INF(J)--DS180(J)--FLOW(6,J)]
ET180(J) = (8)
[ND(J+I)-ND(J)]
The sequence of the various computations performed by the c o m p u t e r
procedure is given in the flow chart (Fig.3). The programme was written in
FORTRAN IV, and was designed to handle data of 95 daily observations. With
128

A
N OT, ,N AYS,S TOON.
DETCAP .('WRITE NPLOT end "~
\Rating curve data 2
EAD
(I),RHC (I,J),RTET (I,J)
T ( I,J ),RTETA( I, J )1 = 1,7

f R E A D XI ( I),X2 (I) at seven " ~

(depths,PE (J), P(J) and )g (WRITE XI(I),X2 (I), )
~ XIR(J) for Jth day J ND (J)

Compute SMT ( I ) and

SMP(I) at each d e p t h

Compute SMC(I)and HC(I) _

and each depth through ' SPLINE INTERPOLATION
spl ne nterpoetion [- SUBROUTINES I

(WRITE D(I),SMT(I),SMP(I),SMC(I),HC(I! )
1 WRITE D(M), D(N)
Compute SMPD,GRAD ( M,J ),
AVTEN, AVEK (M,J), AVESM, AVTEN,SMPD, GRAD ( M,J ),
TOTSM (M,J) IN EACH ZONE AVESM,TOTSM (M,J)
and TSM (J) TSM (J)

J =J+ 1 day II
Advance to next

YES

Compute FLR(M,J) ond NDAYS-ll J

FLOW (M~J) M= 1,6,J = 1j
, ® JRainfall infiltration
I Compute INF (J).J J segment
! i
I Compu±e DS180(J)and ET 180 (J) I (~)
T
(WRITE INF(J) FI_OW (6,J),DS 180 (J),ET 180 ( J )

Fig.3. Flow-chart of computer programme for water balance in root zone.

appropriate changes in the DIMENSION statement, the programme can be modi-

fied suitably for any desired length of crop period. The programme was de-
veloped for depth intervals of 30 cm each as the experimental data were available
for these. It can be easily modified to suit different intervals based on the loca-
tion o f tensiometers in the experiment. For example, denser depth intervals
may be used at the top and bottom if these are more desirable. Definitions of
symbols used in the computer programme are given in the Appendix. A more
detailed description of the procedure and the programme itself are available
from the authors on request.
 129

APPLICATION

The c o m p u t e r model developed was applied to actual field data. The ob-
servations were made in a maize plot in the wet m o n s o o n (kharif) season of
1972. The observations taken on 12 days spread over 14 calendar days (the
first fortnight of July 1972) were considered for the testing, l~ecords of rain-
fall and pan evaporation values for the same period were available.
Fig.4 shows the actual field values of the moisture content at different
depths on the various days of observation. The net change in storage in the
t o p 180 cm during a given interval of observation and the rate of evapo-
transpiration for the same period were evaluated using the computer model.
The relative variations of rainfall, evapotranspiration, pan evaporation and
change in storage for the observed time periods are given in Fig.5. In general,
the pan evaporation value is higher than the corresponding evapotranspiration
value except towards the middle of the fortnight where the evapotranspiration
is higher and the rainfall is excessive. This is expected as initially the soil
moisture is low.
These are only some of the possible studies that can be c o n d u c t e d using the
programme developed above. The programme calculates in addition to change
in storage, the flow of soil moisture o u t of each zone. This information is use-

Soil d e p t h ( c m )

/
x---x 30

~ 90
/

D " J x-- -x 120

03( ' .D El- -[:] 150
\X /
180

u x-.- - ~ -
[-1 Rainfall

o
E
o
co

0 5 flO 13
Time, days

Fig. 4. Rainfall and variation o f soil moisture c o n t e n t with t i m e and depth.

130

r--lEvapotronspiro- i'""iF'mn ewporat~on

L__4tonET180 (J) .........J PE ( )
,. ~ J

henge in !-'-'-iRminfollP (J)

[~]C storage
DS 180 (J)
!_._.2

10
Ld 2
n

0
I................ uE

iI 5 o

2 I "0
Pc"
0 ........ I .
I i I ::
,h i i i -- - - ..I .... "4 I !

, I I I--~
i~'-'i
+ ~-- .L._. L -- .... 'I
~-,-, -"
!
I
I
I
I
I
I
0

Fig. 5. Relative variation of evapotranspiration, change in storage, pan evaporation and rain-
fall.

ful in understanding the effects of irrigation or rainfall at various depths with

time. This in turn m a y be used in scheduling irrigation and fertilizer application.
Further the contribution of each zone to the evapotranspiration process can be
separately determined with suitable simple modifications in the c o m p u t e r
programme.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

The authors are grateful to Dr. A.M. Michael, Project Director, Water Tech-
nology Centre, Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, for the con-
stant encouragement and support during the investigations. The cooperation of
Dr. Dennis Rolston, Visiting Scientist Water Technology Centre, in supplying
the basic data on soil moisture tension and the calibration charts is sincerely
acknowledged.
 131

APPENDIX

List of symbols used in the computer programme

AINCAP average infiltration capacity

AVEK(M,J) average conductivity of Mth zone on Jth day
AVESM average soil moisture content
AVTEN average soil moisture tension
DETCAP detention capacity
DETEN(J) detention on Jth day
DETN previous days detention (detention at the beginning of the interval)
D(I) depth to Ith level
ET180(J) evapotranspiration from the top 180 cm of soil profile
DUR duration between two consecutive observation days
FLOW(M,J) net flow out of Mth zone between Jth and (J+l)th observation days
FLR(M,J) flow rate (flux) out of Mth zone on Jth day
G (rainfall) + (irrigation) + (detention)
GRAD(M,J) hydraulic gradient in Mth zone on Jth day
HC(I) hydraulic conductivity at Ith depth
INF(J) infiltration in Jth interval
J observation day number
ND(J) number of the day of analysis beginning from the first day of observation
NDAYS total number of observation days
NPLOT number of field plots in which observations are made
NR number of points on soil characteristic curves
PE(J) pan evaporation on J t h day
RHC(I,J) rating values of hydraulic conductivity on hydraulic conductivity--
moisture content characteristic curve
P(J) rainfall on Jth day
RT(I,J) rating value of tension on tension--moisture content characteristic curve
RTET(I,J) rating value of moisture content on hydraulic conductivity--moisture
c o n t e n t characteristic curve
RTETA rating value of moisture c o n t e n t on tension--moisture content
characteristic curve
RUNOFF(J) runoff on Jth day
SATCON saturated conductivity of the soil
DS180(J) change in total storage in 180 cm soil profile during the Jth time interval
SMC(I) soil moisture content at Ith depth
SMP(I) soil moisture potential at Ith depth
SMPID(J) soil moisture potential at 15 cm on Jth day
SMPD soil moisture potential difference
SMT(I) soil moisture tension at Ith depth
TOTSM(M,J) total soil moisture in Mth zone on Jth day
TSM(J) total storage in the profile on Jth day
Xl(I), X2(I) tensiometer records at depth I
XIR(J) irrigation on Jth day

REFERENCES

Ahlberg, J.H., Nilson, E.N. and Walsh, J.L., 1967. The Theory of Splines and Their Applica-
tions. Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
Hillel, D., 1977. Computer simulation of soil-water dynamics: a compendium of recent
work. Int. Dev. Res. Cent., Ottawa, Ont., 214 pp.