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Influences of Rainfall Intensity and Leaf Area on Corn Stemflow: Development of a Model
Author(s) -
Ma Bo,
Li Chao Dong,
Ma Fan,
Li Zhan Bin,
Wu Fa Qi
Publication year - 2016
Publication title -
clean – soil, air, water
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.444
H-Index - 66
eISSN - 1863-0669
pISSN - 1863-0650
DOI - 10.1002/clen.201500050
Subject(s) - stemflow , environmental science , empirical modelling , irrigation , canopy , hydrology (agriculture) , agronomy , mathematics , soil science , soil water , geography , throughfall , engineering , simulation , geotechnical engineering , archaeology , biology
As an important pathway for movement of rainfall or sprinkler irrigation water through a crop canopy to the ground, stemflow is of great significance for utilization efficiency of sprinkler irrigation water and for crop growth. In this study, under simulated indoor artificial rainfall, the stemflow rates (SF) of corn plants ( Zea mays ) in different corn growth stages (V4 stage ∼ VT stage) under different rainfall intensities ( I ) were observed, and the relationships among stemflow, leaf area (LA), and I were analyzed. Based on these results, stemflow models were developed. The results showed that for all corn growth stages, the average SF of a single corn plant was about 55.69 mL/min, accounting for 45% of total rainfall. SF increased as a power function of corn LA and I , and the percentage of stemflow in total rainfall increased as a power function of corn LA. Theoretical, semi‐empirical, and empirical models of corn SF and stemflow proportion (SR) of total rainfall were established by analyzing the relationships among LA, I , and stemflow. All three models were used to estimate SF and SR in different corn growth stages and achieved desired accuracy. The semi‐empirical and empirical models were more accurate in predicting and simulating corn SF, but the calculation and application of the semi‐empirical model was relatively simpler. The empirical model of SR enabled a more accurate calculation of the percentage of stemflow in total rainfall.