RZWQM - SIMULATING THE EFFECTS OF MANAGEMENT ON WATER-QUALITY AND CROP PRODUCTION

The interactive use of experimentation and modeling is an efficient wa y to devise and test new agricultural management systems, The Root Zon e Water Quality Model (RZWQM) is a comprehensive simulation model desi gned to predict the hydrologic response, including potential for groun d-water contamination, of alternative ci op-management systems. The mo del is one-dimensional (vertical into the soil profile) and integrates physical, biological and chemical processes. It simulates crop develo pment and the movement of water, nutrients and pesticides over and thr ough the root one for a representative unit area of an agricultural fi eld over multiple years. RZWQM allows for a variety of management prac tices: tillage, irrigation, fertilizer, manure and pesticide applicati ons, tile drainage and crop rotations. Several significant validation efforts have shown the usefulness of RZWQM for evaluating and developi ng management scenarios. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights res erved