Application of HYDRUS-3d to model moisture content and capillary pressure at five monitoring sites in the Venice farmland.

This study assesses the performance of the HYDRUS-3D computer model in simulating soil-moisture content and capillary pressure in Venice farmland within the southern part of Venice Lagoon. The accurate simulation of soil moisture content and capillary pressure can have significant implications for the decision-making in various fields. For example, in ag-riculture, it can help in determining the appropriate irrigation scheduling, which can im-prove crop yield and water use efficiency. In hydrology, it can aid in predicting groundwater recharge and aquifer storage, while in environmental engineering, it can assist in assessing the impact of land use and land management practices on soil moisture content and capil-lary pressure. Freshwater recharge by the channel named Morto plays a fair role, especially in the long term, although the precipitation in the topsoil is less. The objective of the study was to analyse the soil properties, including technical, ecologi-cal, geological, biological, and hydrological properties, under different field conditions. The model was calibrated and validated using field data from five monitoring stations over a period of five months from June to October in the year 2021. Soil moisture content at dif-ferent depths was measured using laboratory methods and soil sampling. Soil texture, in-cluding the percentage of sand, silt, and clay, was also classified using laboratory methods at different depths. The observed soil values were compared with the simulated soil mois-ture values to identify variation in the graph. The study’s findings also suggest that the la-boratory methods used to measure soil moisture and classify soil texture can provide relia-ble data for validating and calibrating computer models. The integration of field data and computer models can lead to a better understanding of the soil-water-plant-atmosphere sys-tem, which is essential for sustainable land management practices. However, further re-search is needed to determine the model’s accuracy in different field conditions, soil types, and land management practices. Also, more extensively field data collection can provide a better understanding of the spatial and temporal variability of soil moisture content and ca-pillary pressure, which can improve model performance. The study concludes that the HYDRUS-3D computer model can be used to simulate soil moisture content and capillary pressure under different field conditions in the Venice farm-land. It provides valuable insights into the performance of the HYDRUS-3D computer mod-el in simulating soil moisture content and capillary pressure in Venice farmland The mod-el accurately predicts the soil moisture content at different depths, which can be useful in managing irrigation, groundwater recharge, and other agricultural practices. The result of this study can be used to further refine the model parameters and improve the accuracy of soil moisture predictions for effective agricultural management and groundwater recharge in Venice farmland. The model’s validation and calibration using field data can provide re-liable estimates of soil moisture content and capillary pressure, which can have significant implications for decision-making in various fields.