Compartmental model for nitrogen dynamics in citrus orchards

A simple model that represents the soil nitrogen dynamics in a citrus orchard is studied. This model consists of several compartments of organic and inorganic nitrogen representing the main processes that occur among the compartment of the soil column. Some of these processes are coupled to the carbon dynamics in the soil, thus, the evolution of organic carbon in the soil has been also described in the model. The dependence of these processes with soil moisture requires the coupling of a nitrogen model with a model of soil water dynamics. A compartmental model for the water has been used to simulate the dynamics of water in the root profile. oposed model has been used to predict the soil mineral nitrogen content and the nitrate leaching in a citrus orchard placed in the area of Valencia and the obtained results have been compared with the results obtained with the nitrogen component of the widely used Leaching Estimation and Chemistry Model (LEACHM).