Articles | Volume 14, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-14-353-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/gi-14-353-2025
© Author(s) 2025. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
27 Nov 2025
Research article |
| 27 Nov 2025
| 27 Nov 2025
The AgraSim (Agricultural Simulator) facility for the comprehensive experimental simulation and analysis of environmental impacts on processes in the soil-plant-atmosphere system
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Nicolas Brüggemann
Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conversation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany
Patrick Chaumet
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Normen Hermes
Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Jan Huwer
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Peter Kirchner
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Werner Lesmeister
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Wilhelm August Mertens
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Thomas Pütz
Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Jörg Wolters
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Harry Vereecken
Institute of Bio- and Geoscience – Agrosphere (IBG-3) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
Institute of Crop Science and Resource Conversation (INRES), University of Bonn, Bonn, 53115, Germany
Ghaleb Natour
Institute of Technology and Engineering (ITE) | Forschungszentrum Jülich, Jülich, 52428, Germany
RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, 52062, Germany
Related authors
No articles found.
Salar Saeed Dogar, Cosimo Brogi, Dave O'Leary, Ixchel M. Hernández-Ochoa, Marco Donat, Harry Vereecken, and Johan Alexander Huisman
SOIL, 11, 655–679, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-655-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-655-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Farmers need precise information about their fields to use water, fertilizers, and other resources efficiently. This study combines underground soil data and satellite images to create detailed field maps using advanced machine learning. By testing different ways of processing data, we ensured a balanced and accurate approach. The results help farmers manage their land more effectively, leading to better harvests and more sustainable farming practices.
François Rineau, Alexander H. Frank, Jannis Groh, Kristof Grosjean, Arnaud Legout, Daniil I. Kolokolov, Michel Mench, Maria Moreno-Druet, Benoît Pollier, Virmantas Povilaitis, Johanna Pausch, Thomas Puetz, Tjalling Rooks, Peter Schröder, Wieslaw Szulc, Beata Rutkowska, Xander Swinnen, Sofie Thijs, Harry Vereecken, Janna V. Veselovskaya, Mwahija Zubery, Renaldas Žydelis, and Evelin Loit
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4188, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-4188, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Spreading crushed rock on farmland soil could help slow climate change by capturing CO2 from the atmosphere and convert it in carbonate ions. We found that this method not only captured carbon in soils but also stimulated natural biological processes that store even more carbon. These results suggest that enhanced weathering can act as a double benefit: removing carbon dioxide from the air while improving the health and resilience of agricultural soils.
Shiao Feng, Wenhong Wang, Yonggen Zhang, Zhongwang Wei, Jianzhi Dong, Lutz Weihermüller, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-410, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-410, 2025
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
Soil moisture is key for weather, farming, and ecosystems, but global datasets have gaps and biases. We compared three products against 1,615 stations with more than 1.9 million measured moisture, finding ERA5-Land highly correlated but biased high, and SMAP-L4 accurate but short-term. Fusing them created an enhanced dataset, improving correlation by 5%, reducing errors by 20%, and enhancing overall fit by 15%. This seamless resource aids drought tracking, water planning, and climate adaptation.
Jordan Bates, Carsten Montzka, Harry Vereecken, and François Jonard
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3919, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-3919, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
Short summary
Short summary
We used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with advanced cameras and laser scanning to measure crop water use and detect early signs of plant stress. By combining 3D views of crop structure with surface temperature and reflectance data, we improved estimates of water loss, especially in dense crops like wheat. This approach can help farmers use water more efficiently, respond quickly to stress, and support sustainable agriculture in a changing climate.
Heye Reemt Bogena, Frank Herrmann, Andreas Lücke, Thomas Pütz, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-185, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-185, 2025
Revised manuscript under review for ESSD
Short summary
Short summary
The Wüstebach catchment in Germany’s TERENO network underwent partial deforestation in 2013 to support natural regrowth in Eifel National Park. This data paper presents 16 years (2010–2024) of estimated hourly stream-water flux data for nine macro- and micronutrients, dissolved ionic aluminum, and dissolved organic carbon, along with measured solute concentrations and discharge rates from two stations—one affected by clear-cutting and one unaffected.
Alexander Kelsch, Matthias Claß, and Nicolas Brüggemann
Atmos. Meas. Tech., 18, 1519–1535, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1519-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/amt-18-1519-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We wanted to know how well the Dräger Tube method (DTM) is able to measure ammonia in agricultural experiments on small plots. We therefore compared the accuracy and sensitivity of Dräger Tubes in laboratory tests with more advanced analyzers. Dräger Tubes had a detection limit 3 to 4 times higher than expected. Since there are areas where the use of advanced analyzers is not feasible, the DTM should be improved, or simple and cost-effective measuring methods should be developed.
Manuela S. Kaufmann, Anja Klotzsche, Jan van der Kruk, Anke Langen, Harry Vereecken, and Lutz Weihermüller
SOIL, 11, 267–285, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-267-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-11-267-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
To use fertilizers more effectively, non-invasive geophysical methods can be used to understand nutrient distributions in the soil. We utilize, in a long-term field study, geophysical techniques to study soil properties and conditions under different fertilizer treatments. We compared the geophysical response with soil samples and soil sensor data. In particular, electromagnetic induction and electrical resistivity tomography were effective in monitoring changes in nitrate levels over time.
Bamidele Oloruntoba, Stefan Kollet, Carsten Montzka, Harry Vereecken, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 1659–1683, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1659-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-1659-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
We studied how soil and weather data affect land model simulations over Africa. By combining soil data processed in different ways with weather data of varying time intervals, we found that weather inputs had a greater impact on water processes than soil data type. However, the way soil data were processed became crucial when paired with high-frequency weather inputs, showing that detailed weather data can improve local and regional predictions of how water moves and interacts with the land.
Paolo Nasta, Günter Blöschl, Heye R. Bogena, Steffen Zacharias, Roland Baatz, Gabriëlle De Lannoy, Karsten H. Jensen, Salvatore Manfreda, Laurent Pfister, Ana M. Tarquis, Ilja van Meerveld, Marc Voltz, Yijian Zeng, William Kustas, Xin Li, Harry Vereecken, and Nunzio Romano
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 29, 465–483, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-29-465-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
The Unsolved Problems in Hydrology (UPH) initiative has emphasized the need to establish networks of multi-decadal hydrological observatories to tackle catchment-scale challenges on a global scale. This opinion paper provocatively discusses two endmembers of possible future hydrological observatory (HO) networks for a given hypothesized community budget: a comprehensive set of moderately instrumented observatories or, alternatively, a small number of highly instrumented supersites.
Christian Poppe Terán, Bibi S. Naz, Harry Vereecken, Roland Baatz, Rosie A. Fisher, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Geosci. Model Dev., 18, 287–317, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-287-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-18-287-2025, 2025
Short summary
Short summary
Carbon and water exchanges between the atmosphere and the land surface contribute to water resource availability and climate change mitigation. Land surface models, like the Community Land Model version 5 (CLM5), simulate these. This study finds that CLM5 and other data sets underestimate the magnitudes of and variability in carbon and water exchanges for the most abundant plant functional types compared to observations. It provides essential insights for further research into these processes.
Junwei Song, Georgios I. Gkatzelis, Ralf Tillmann, Nicolas Brüggemann, Thomas Leisner, and Harald Saathoff
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 24, 13199–13217, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13199-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-24-13199-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Biogenic volatile organic compounds (BVOCs) and organic aerosol (OA) particles were measured online in a stressed spruce-dominated forest. OA was mainly attributed to the monoterpene oxidation products. The mixing ratios of BVOCs were higher than the values previously measured in other temperate forests. The results demonstrate that BVOCs are influenced not only by meteorology and biogenic emissions but also by local anthropogenic emissions and subsequent chemical transformation processes.
Ying Zhao, Mehdi Rahmati, Harry Vereecken, and Dani Or
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 4059–4063, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4059-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-4059-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Gao et al. (2023) question the importance of soil in hydrology, sparking debate. We acknowledge some valid points but critique their broad, unsubstantiated views on soil's role. Our response highlights three key areas: (1) the false divide between ecosystem-centric and soil-centric approaches, (2) the vital yet varied impact of soil properties, and (3) the call for a scale-aware framework. We aim to unify these perspectives, enhancing hydrology's comprehensive understanding.
Ingeborg Bussmann, Eric P. Achterberg, Holger Brix, Nicolas Brüggemann, Götz Flöser, Claudia Schütze, and Philipp Fischer
Biogeosciences, 21, 3819–3838, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3819-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3819-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Methane (CH4) is an important greenhouse gas and contributes to climate warming. However, the input of CH4 from coastal areas to the atmosphere is not well defined. Dissolved and atmospheric CH4 was determined at high spatial resolution in or above the North Sea. The atmospheric CH4 concentration was mainly influenced by wind direction. With our detailed study on the spatial distribution of CH4 fluxes we were able to provide a detailed and more realistic estimation of coastal CH4 fluxes.
Tobias Karl David Weber, Lutz Weihermüller, Attila Nemes, Michel Bechtold, Aurore Degré, Efstathios Diamantopoulos, Simone Fatichi, Vilim Filipović, Surya Gupta, Tobias L. Hohenbrink, Daniel R. Hirmas, Conrad Jackisch, Quirijn de Jong van Lier, John Koestel, Peter Lehmann, Toby R. Marthews, Budiman Minasny, Holger Pagel, Martine van der Ploeg, Shahab Aldin Shojaeezadeh, Simon Fiil Svane, Brigitta Szabó, Harry Vereecken, Anne Verhoef, Michael Young, Yijian Zeng, Yonggen Zhang, and Sara Bonetti
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 3391–3433, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-3391-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
Pedotransfer functions (PTFs) are used to predict parameters of models describing the hydraulic properties of soils. The appropriateness of these predictions critically relies on the nature of the datasets for training the PTFs and the physical comprehensiveness of the models. This roadmap paper is addressed to PTF developers and users and critically reflects the utility and future of PTFs. To this end, we present a manifesto aiming at a paradigm shift in PTF research.
Lukas Strebel, Heye Bogena, Harry Vereecken, Mie Andreasen, Sergio Aranda-Barranco, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 28, 1001–1026, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1001-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-28-1001-2024, 2024
Short summary
Short summary
We present results from using soil water content measurements from 13 European forest sites in a state-of-the-art land surface model. We use data assimilation to perform a combination of observed and modeled soil water content and show the improvements in the representation of soil water content. However, we also look at the impact on evapotranspiration and see no corresponding improvements.
Denise Degen, Daniel Caviedes Voullième, Susanne Buiter, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, Harry Vereecken, Ana González-Nicolás, and Florian Wellmann
Geosci. Model Dev., 16, 7375–7409, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-7375-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-7375-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In geosciences, we often use simulations based on physical laws. These simulations can be computationally expensive, which is a problem if simulations must be performed many times (e.g., to add error bounds). We show how a novel machine learning method helps to reduce simulation time. In comparison to other approaches, which typically only look at the output of a simulation, the method considers physical laws in the simulation itself. The method provides reliable results faster than standard.
Tobias Schnepper, Jannis Groh, Horst H. Gerke, Barbara Reichert, and Thomas Pütz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3265–3292, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3265-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3265-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
We compared hourly data from precipitation gauges with lysimeter reference data at three sites under different climatic conditions. Our results show that precipitation gauges recorded 33–96 % of the reference precipitation data for the period under consideration (2015–2018). Correction algorithms increased the registered precipitation by 9–14 %. It follows that when using point precipitation data, regardless of the precipitation measurement method used, relevant uncertainties must be considered.
Theresa Boas, Heye Reemt Bogena, Dongryeol Ryu, Harry Vereecken, Andrew Western, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 27, 3143–3167, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3143-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-27-3143-2023, 2023
Short summary
Short summary
In our study, we tested the utility and skill of a state-of-the-art forecasting product for the prediction of regional crop productivity using a land surface model. Our results illustrate the potential value and skill of combining seasonal forecasts with modelling applications to generate variables of interest for stakeholders, such as annual crop yield for specific cash crops and regions. In addition, this study provides useful insights for future technical model evaluations and improvements.
Jordan Bates, Francois Jonard, Rajina Bajracharya, Harry Vereecken, and Carsten Montzka
AGILE GIScience Ser., 3, 23, https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-3-23-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/agile-giss-3-23-2022, 2022
Maik Heistermann, Heye Bogena, Till Francke, Andreas Güntner, Jannis Jakobi, Daniel Rasche, Martin Schrön, Veronika Döpper, Benjamin Fersch, Jannis Groh, Amol Patil, Thomas Pütz, Marvin Reich, Steffen Zacharias, Carmen Zengerle, and Sascha Oswald
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 2501–2519, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2501-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-2501-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
This paper presents a dense network of cosmic-ray neutron sensing (CRNS) to measure spatio-temporal soil moisture patterns during a 2-month campaign in the Wüstebach headwater catchment in Germany. Stationary, mobile, and airborne CRNS technology monitored the root-zone water dynamics as well as spatial heterogeneity in the 0.4 km2 area. The 15 CRNS stations were supported by a hydrogravimeter, biomass sampling, and a wireless soil sensor network to facilitate holistic hydrological analysis.
Wei Qu, Heye Bogena, Christoph Schüth, Harry Vereecken, Zongmei Li, and Stephan Schulz
Geosci. Model Dev. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-131, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-2022-131, 2022
Publication in GMD not foreseen
Short summary
Short summary
We applied the global sensitivity analysis LH-OAT to the integrated hydrology model ParFlow-CLM to investigate the sensitivity of the 12 parameters for different scenarios. And we found that the general patterns of the parameter sensitivities were consistent, however, for some parameters a significantly larger span of the sensitivities was observed, especially for the higher slope and in subarctic climatic scenarios.
Nicholas Jarvis, Jannis Groh, Elisabet Lewan, Katharina H. E. Meurer, Walter Durka, Cornelia Baessler, Thomas Pütz, Elvin Rufullayev, and Harry Vereecken
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 26, 2277–2299, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2277-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-26-2277-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We apply an eco-hydrological model to data on soil water balance and grassland growth obtained at two sites with contrasting climates. Our results show that the grassland in the drier climate had adapted by developing deeper roots, which maintained water supply to the plants in the face of severe drought. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering such plastic responses of plant traits to environmental stress in the modelling of soil water balance and plant growth under climate change.
Heye Reemt Bogena, Martin Schrön, Jannis Jakobi, Patrizia Ney, Steffen Zacharias, Mie Andreasen, Roland Baatz, David Boorman, Mustafa Berk Duygu, Miguel Angel Eguibar-Galán, Benjamin Fersch, Till Franke, Josie Geris, María González Sanchis, Yann Kerr, Tobias Korf, Zalalem Mengistu, Arnaud Mialon, Paolo Nasta, Jerzy Nitychoruk, Vassilios Pisinaras, Daniel Rasche, Rafael Rosolem, Hami Said, Paul Schattan, Marek Zreda, Stefan Achleitner, Eduardo Albentosa-Hernández, Zuhal Akyürek, Theresa Blume, Antonio del Campo, Davide Canone, Katya Dimitrova-Petrova, John G. Evans, Stefano Ferraris, Félix Frances, Davide Gisolo, Andreas Güntner, Frank Herrmann, Joost Iwema, Karsten H. Jensen, Harald Kunstmann, Antonio Lidón, Majken Caroline Looms, Sascha Oswald, Andreas Panagopoulos, Amol Patil, Daniel Power, Corinna Rebmann, Nunzio Romano, Lena Scheiffele, Sonia Seneviratne, Georg Weltin, and Harry Vereecken
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 14, 1125–1151, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1125-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-14-1125-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
Monitoring of increasingly frequent droughts is a prerequisite for climate adaptation strategies. This data paper presents long-term soil moisture measurements recorded by 66 cosmic-ray neutron sensors (CRNS) operated by 24 institutions and distributed across major climate zones in Europe. Data processing followed harmonized protocols and state-of-the-art methods to generate consistent and comparable soil moisture products and to facilitate continental-scale analysis of hydrological extremes.
Lukas Strebel, Heye R. Bogena, Harry Vereecken, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Geosci. Model Dev., 15, 395–411, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-395-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-15-395-2022, 2022
Short summary
Short summary
We present the technical coupling between a land surface model (CLM5) and the Parallel Data Assimilation Framework (PDAF). This coupling enables measurement data to update simulated model states and parameters in a statistically optimal way. We demonstrate the viability of the model framework using an application in a forested catchment where the inclusion of soil water measurements significantly improved the simulation quality.
Veronika Forstner, Jannis Groh, Matevz Vremec, Markus Herndl, Harry Vereecken, Horst H. Gerke, Steffen Birk, and Thomas Pütz
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 6087–6106, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6087-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-6087-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Lysimeter-based manipulative and observational experiments were used to identify responses of water fluxes and aboveground biomass (AGB) to climatic change in permanent grassland. Under energy-limited conditions, elevated temperature actual evapotranspiration (ETa) increased, while seepage, dew, and AGB decreased. Elevated CO2 mitigated the effect on ETa. Under water limitation, elevated temperature resulted in reduced ETa, and AGB was negatively correlated with an increasing aridity.
Yafei Huang, Jonas Weis, Harry Vereecken, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci. Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-569, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-2021-569, 2021
Manuscript not accepted for further review
Short summary
Short summary
Trends in agricultural droughts cannot be easily deduced from measurements. Here trends in agricultural droughts over 31 German and Dutch sites were calculated with model simulations and long-term observed meteorological data as input. We found that agricultural droughts are increasing although precipitation hardly decreases. The increase is driven by increase in evapotranspiration. The year 2018 was for half of the sites the year with the most extreme agricultural drought in the last 55 years.
Bernd Schalge, Gabriele Baroni, Barbara Haese, Daniel Erdal, Gernot Geppert, Pablo Saavedra, Vincent Haefliger, Harry Vereecken, Sabine Attinger, Harald Kunstmann, Olaf A. Cirpka, Felix Ament, Stefan Kollet, Insa Neuweiler, Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen, and Clemens Simmer
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 13, 4437–4464, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4437-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-13-4437-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study, a 9-year simulation of complete model output of a coupled atmosphere–land-surface–subsurface model on the catchment scale is discussed. We used the Neckar catchment in SW Germany as the basis of this simulation. Since the dataset includes the full model output, it is not only possible to investigate model behavior and interactions between the component models but also use it as a virtual truth for comparison of, for example, data assimilation experiments.
Jan Vanderborght, Valentin Couvreur, Felicien Meunier, Andrea Schnepf, Harry Vereecken, Martin Bouda, and Mathieu Javaux
Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci., 25, 4835–4860, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4835-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/hess-25-4835-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
Root water uptake is an important process in the terrestrial water cycle. How this process depends on soil water content, root distributions, and root properties is a soil–root hydraulic problem. We compare different approaches to implementing root hydraulics in macroscopic soil water flow and land surface models.
Youri Rothfuss, Maria Quade, Nicolas Brüggemann, Alexander Graf, Harry Vereecken, and Maren Dubbert
Biogeosciences, 18, 3701–3732, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3701-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3701-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
The partitioning of evapotranspiration into evaporation from soil and transpiration from plants is crucial for a wide range of parties, from farmers to policymakers. In this work, we focus on a particular partitioning method, based on the stable isotopic analysis of water. In particular, we aim at highlighting the challenges that this method is currently facing and, in light of recent methodological developments, propose ways forward for the isotopic-partitioning community.
Cosimo Brogi, Johan A. Huisman, Lutz Weihermüller, Michael Herbst, and Harry Vereecken
SOIL, 7, 125–143, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-125-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/soil-7-125-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
There is a need in agriculture for detailed soil maps that carry quantitative information. Geophysics-based soil maps have the potential to deliver such products, but their added value has not been fully investigated yet. In this study, we compare the use of a geophysics-based soil map with the use of two commonly available maps as input for crop growth simulations. The geophysics-based product results in better simulations, with improvements that depend on precipitation, soil, and crop type.
Theresa Boas, Heye Bogena, Thomas Grünwald, Bernard Heinesch, Dongryeol Ryu, Marius Schmidt, Harry Vereecken, Andrew Western, and Harrie-Jan Hendricks Franssen
Geosci. Model Dev., 14, 573–601, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-573-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-14-573-2021, 2021
Short summary
Short summary
In this study we were able to significantly improve CLM5 model performance for European cropland sites by adding a winter wheat representation, specific plant parameterizations for important cash crops, and a cover-cropping and crop rotation subroutine to its crop module. Our modifications should be applied in future studies of CLM5 to improve regional yield predictions and to better understand large-scale impacts of agricultural management on carbon, water, and energy fluxes.
Cited articles
Graves, C. and Adatia, M.: Nickel toxicity in nutrient film culture, annual report. Glasshouse Crops Res. Inst., 103–104, 1983.
Horie, T., Nakagawa, H., Nakano, J., Hamotani, K., and Kim, H. Y.: Temperature gradient chambers for research on global environment change. III. A system designed for rice in Kyoto, Japan, Plant Cell Environ., 18, 1064–1069, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-3040.1995.tb00618.x, 1995.
Knight, S. L.: Constructing Specialized Plant Growth Chambers for Gas-exchange Research: Considerations and Concerns, HortScience, 27, 767–769, https://doi.org/10.21273/HORTSCI.27.7.767, 1992.
Leadley, P. W. and Drake, B. G.: Open top chambers for exposing plant canopies to elevated CO2 concentration and for measuring net gas exchange, Vegetatio, 104, 3–15, https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00048141, 1993.
Mathur, S. P.: Phthalate Esters in the Environment: Pollutants or Natural Products, J. Environ. Qual., 3, 189–197, https://doi.org/10.2134/jeq1974.00472425000300030001x, 1974.
Molotoks, A., Smith, P., and Dawson, T. P.: Impacts of land use, population, and climate change on global food security, Food Energy Secur., 10, e261, https://doi.org/10.1002/fes3.261, 2020.
Morrow, R. C. and Crabb, T. M.: Biomass Production System (BPS) plant growth unit, Adv. Space Res., 26, 289-298, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0273-1177(99)00573-6, 2000.
Mortensen, L.: Growth responses of some greenhouse plants to environment. III. Design and function of a growth chamber prototype, Scientia Horticulturae, 16, 57–63, https://doi.org/10.1016/0304-4238(82)90024-3, 1982.
Pütz, Th., Kiese, R., Wollschläger, U., Groh, J., Rupp, H., Zacharias, S., Priesack, E., Gerke, H. H., Gasche, R., Bens, O., Borg, E., Baessler C., Kaiser, K., Herbrich, M., Munch, J.-C., Sommer, M., Vogel, H.-J., Vanderborght, J., and Vereecken, H.: TERENO-SOILCan: a lysimeter-network in Germany observing soil processes and plant diversity influenced by climate change, Environ. Earth Sci., 75, 1242, https://doi.org/10.1007/s12665-016-6031-5, 2016.
Roy, J., Rineau, F., De Boeck, H. J., Nijs, I., Pütz, T., Abiven S., Arnone III, J. A., Barton, C. V. M., Beenaerts, N., Brüggemann, N., Dainese, M., Domisch, T., Eisenhauer, N., Garré, S., Gebler, A., Ghirardo, A., Jasoni, R. L., Kowalchuk, G., Landais, D., Larsen, S. H., Leemans, V., Le Galliard, J., Longdoz, B., Massol, F., Mikkelsen, T. N., Niedrist, G., Piel, C., Ravel, O., Sauze, J., Schmidt, A., Schnitzler, J., Teixeira, L. H., Tjoelker, M. G., Weisser, W. W., Winkler, B., and Milcu, A.: Ecotrons: Powerful and versatile ecosystem analysers for ecology, agronomy and environmental science, Glob. Change Biol., 27, 1387–1407, https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.15471, 2020.
Schott: Spezifikation PCE Physikalische und chemische Eigenschaften Conturan, p. 9, 12, 2015.
Silcotek GmbH: The ultimate inert coating for improved sampling and trace-level analysis of active compounds, https://silcotek.de/wp-content/uploads/2017/10/SilcoNert2000-Data-Sheet_4-8-2016_DE.pdf(last access: 21 November 2025), 2023.
Urban, O., Janouš, D., Pokorný, R., Markova, I., Pavelka, M., Fojtík, Z., Šprtová, M., Kalina, J., and Marek, M. V.: Glass Domes with Adjustable Windows: A Novel Technique for Exposing Juvenile Forest Stands to Elevated CO2 Concentration, Photosynthetica, 39, 395–401, https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1015134427592, 2001.
Vaittinen, O., Metsälä, M., Persijn, S., Vainio, M., and Halonen, L.: Adsorption of ammonia on treated stainless steel and polymer surfaces, Appl. Phys. B, 115, 185–196, https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-013-5590-3, 2013.
Wheeler, R. M.: Gas-exchange measurements using a large, closed plant growth chamber, National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI), https://journals.ashs.org/view/journals/hortsci/27/7/article-p777.xml (last access: 21 November 2025), 1992.
Short summary
Climate change in combination with a steadily growing world population and a simultaneous decrease in agricultural land is one of the greatest global challenges facing mankind. In this context, Forschungszentrum Jülich established an "agricultural simulator" (AgraSim), which enables research into the effects of climate change on agricultural ecosystems and the optimization of agricultural cultivation and management strategies with the aid of combined experimental and numerical simulation.
Climate change in combination with a steadily growing world population and a simultaneous...
