Evaluation of Water Infiltration Models Efficiency Affected by Tillage Systems and Residue Management in Wheat-Corn Rotation

Water infiltration process into the soil is significantly affected by plant residue management and tillage systems, which are important factors for designing efficient irrigation systems, especially in arid and semi-arid regions. We aimed to estimate the coefficients of infiltration process models (including Kostiakov-Lewis, Kostiakov, Horton, SCS and Philip) and their performance under the effect of residue management (residue removal and retention) and different tillage systems (conventional tillage, reduced tillage, and no-tillage). The field experiment was conducted in wheat (Triticum aestivum L.)-corn (Zea mays L.) rotation based on split-plot design with three replications, in Zarghan, Fars province, during 2016 and 2017. The water infiltration process was determined by double ring method in three replications for each crop. Then, the statistical criteria of determination coefficient (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and efficiency model (EF) were defined by Solver tools and used to quantify and classify the infiltration process models. In wheat cultivation and residue removal, the highest performance for estimating of water infiltration was obtained by Kostiakov-Lewis model under conventional tillage (R2, RMSE, EF were 0.99, 0.07 and 99.99%, respectively). In the case of reduced tillage, R2, RMSE, EF were 0.99, 0.13, and 99.99%, respectively), while Horton’s model in corn cultivation and residue retention was the best model under no-tillage system (R2, RMSE, EF were 0.99, 0.14 and 99.70%, respectively). Among tillage systems, the lowest performance of models was observed for SCS, Kostiakov, and Philip models in a wheat-corn-wheat rotation. Overall, to quantifying water infiltration process into the soil under arid and semi-arid region such as Zarghan, it is recommendable to apply Kostiakov-Lewis and Horton models in, respectively, wheat and corn fields.