Analysis of DRAINMOD performances with different detail of soil input datain the Veneto region of Italy

The deterministic field scale model DRAINMOD was tested in an experiment on subsurface pipe drainage in the Veneto region, in an environment of NE Ita ly characterised by the presence of a shallow water table in a flat area. T he objective was to determine whether a minimal set of field data would suf fice to use DRAINMOD for predictive purposes. The measured water table dept h and drain outflow from a 5-year field experiment were compared to those d etermined by DRAINMOD using three levels of detail in input data. The resul ts indicated that even very limited input data (texture and porosity of the top 30 cm of soil) gave good predictions. More elaborate data improved the estimates. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.