Date of Graduation

5-2019

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelor of Science in Biological Engineering

Degree Level

Undergraduate

Department

Biological and Agricultural Engineering

Advisor/Mentor

Le, Kieu

Committee Member/Reader

Runkle, Benjamin

Committee Member/Second Reader

Purcell, Larry

Abstract

Rice is a staple food for billions of people, and rice production will need to grow with global populations. One potential solution to decrease the environmental impacts associated with rice production is alternate wetting and drying (AWD) management which, as opposed to sustained flooding, allows a reduction of water use and methane emissions. Studies into AWD have shown that yield levels may be conserved when using this practice, which would be necessary for widespread implementation. Modeling AWD management changes successfully would help to determine where and to what extent this practice may be effective in the US. The management and yield data from a recent AWD study in Lonoke County, Arkansas was used to simulate rice production with the Agricultural Policy/Environmental eXtender (APEX) model. The model was calibrated and evaluated for its sensitivity in detecting changes in yield between typical delayed flood management and AWD. It was determined that the APEX model was able to simulate yields accurately after calibration (1.54% error) but the model did not accurately depict the differences in AWD and delayed flood management. Because simulated yields were highly impacted by days of water stress, the model may be able to accurately simulate differences in management in future studies if more precise irrigation management information is used.

Keywords

alternate wetting and drying, APEX model, crop model, Arkansas rice

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