Integrated management tool for water, crop, soil and N-fertilizers: the Saltmed model

Good management will be required to double food production by 2050. Testing management strategies is commonly carried out in the field. Such trials are costly and require quite a long time to produce consistent and reliable results. An alternative option to field trials would be the use of tested models. Models can run with ‘what-if’ scenarios depicting different types of field management. They are a less costly and faster alternative to field trials. In contrast to some existing models, the SALTMED 2013 model is designed for general applications that include various irrigation systems and water application strategies, water of different qualities, variety of crops and trees, different nitrogen based fertilizers and different soil types. The model can simulate up to 20 fields with different treatments, different crops, different irrigation systems and management as well as different N-fertilizer applications. The SALTMED model has been tested using field experiment data from Portugal, Italy, Denmark, Morocco, Egypt, Syria, Brazil and Iran. It successfully simulated soil moisture, salinity, nitrogen content, grain yield and total dry matter. The model provides academics, professionals and extension services with a management tool for crops, soil, water and nitrogen fertilizers. This paper describes the processes, the equations of the model and summarizes the different applications and results obtained.