Response Simulation of Two Soybean Cultivars Response to Deficit Irrigation by WOFOST Model

Today, even in humid areas, the water crisis is a major problem for agriculture and increasing the efficiency of water use is also one of the requirements for sustainable development. Regarding this, the use of plant growth simulation models as a tool for managing water crisis seems useful. In this study, WOFOST model to simulate the performance of two soybean cultivars (DPX and SEPIDEH) under deficit irrigation was used in the Gorgan region. Using the measured plant yield and simulated water balance components from the model, the average productivity of evapotranspiration (WPET), based on seed yield, was obtained as 0.72 kg m-3. With increasing water stress, water use efficiency based on irrigation and precipitation series (WPI) and water use efficiency based on irrigation (WPI) increased in both cultivars, but the DPX water use efficiency under drought stress was higher than the SEPIDEH cultivar. According to the results and accuracy of WOFOST model, index of relative root mean square errors of seed yield and total biomass in both cultivars was less than 10%, the index of the coefficient of residual mass (CRM) was close to zero, the performance factor (EF) was 0.89, the coefficient of determination (R2) equaled 0.93, and the index of Willmott agreement (IOA) was about 0.89. Overall, based on the findings of this study, favorable performance of the model to simulate the growth process and water impact on soybean seed yield and water efficiency is confirmed and cultivar DPX is recommended for cultivation in the Golestan province.