Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity

Margarita Garcia-Vila; Murilo dos Santos Vianna; Matthew Tom Harrison; Ke Liu; Rogério de S. Nóia-Júnior; Tobias K.D. Weber; Jin Zhao; Marco Acutis; Sotirios Archontoulis; Senthold Asseng; Pierre Aubry; Juraj Balkovic; Bruno Basso; Xianguan Chen; Yi Chen; Quirijn de Jong van Lier; Mathieu Delandmeter; Allard de Wit; Benjamin Dumont; Roberto Ferrise; Christian Folberth; Mara Gabbrielli; Thomas Gaiser; Aram Gorooei; Gerrit Hoogenboom; Kurt Christian Kersebaum; Yean Uk Kim; David Kraus; Bing Liu; Lioba Martin; Klaas Metselaar; Claas Nendel; Gloria Padovan; Alessia Perego; Diana Maria Seserman; Clemens Scheer; Vakhtang Shelia; Valentina Stocca; Fulu Tao; Enli Wang; Heidi Webber; Zhigan Zhao; Yan Zhu; Taru Palosuo

doi:10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y

Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity

Margarita Garcia-Vila
, Murilo dos Santos Vianna
, Matthew Tom Harrison
, Ke Liu
, Rogério de S. Nóia-Júnior
, Tobias K.D. Weber
, Jin Zhao
, Marco Acutis
, Sotirios Archontoulis
, Senthold Asseng
, Pierre Aubry
, Juraj Balkovic
, Bruno Basso
, Xianguan Chen
, Yi Chen
, Quirijn de Jong van Lier
, Mathieu Delandmeter
, Allard de Wit
, Benjamin Dumont
, Roberto Ferrise

Christian Folberth, Mara Gabbrielli, Thomas Gaiser, Aram Gorooei, Gerrit Hoogenboom, Kurt Christian Kersebaum, Yean Uk Kim, David Kraus, Bing Liu, Lioba Martin, Klaas Metselaar, Claas Nendel, Gloria Padovan, Alessia Perego, Diana Maria Seserman, Clemens Scheer, Vakhtang Shelia, Valentina Stocca, Fulu Tao, Enli Wang, Heidi Webber, Zhigan Zhao, Yan Zhu, Taru Palosuo

Chair of Digital Agriculture

IAS-CSIC
Forschungszentrum Jülich (FZJ)
University of Bonn
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture
Yangtze University
Université de Montpellier
Information Systems
China Agricultural University
University of Milan
Iowa State University
University of Liège
International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis, Laxenburg
Michigan State University
Fujian Agriculture and Forestry University
Chinese Academy of Sciences
University of São Paulo
Wageningen University and Research Centre
University of Florence
University of Florida
Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research ZALF
Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
KIT/IMK-IFU
Nanjing Agricultural University
University of Potsdam
Technical University of Munich
CSIRO Agriculture and Food
Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review

13 Scopus citations

Abstract

With the changing climate, soil waterlogging is a growing threat to food security. Yet, contemporary approaches employed in crop models to simulate waterlogging are in their infancy. By analysing 21 crop models, we show that critical deficiencies persist in accurately simulating capillary rise, crop resistance to transient periods of waterlogging, crop recovery mechanisms, and the effects on soil nitrogen processes, phenology and yield components. This hinders the ability of such models to reliably simulate the impacts of excessive soil moisture. Advanced crop modelling analytics will enable scenario analysis and, with time, farming systems adaptation to climate change and increasing frequency of crop failure due to waterlogging.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	553-562
Number of pages	10
Journal	Nature Food
Volume	6
Issue number	6
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y
State	Published - Jun 2025

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

SDG 2 Zero Hunger
SDG 13 Climate Action

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10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y

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Garcia-Vila, M., dos Santos Vianna, M., Harrison, M. T., Liu, K., de S. Nóia-Júnior, R., Weber, T. K. D., Zhao, J., Acutis, M., Archontoulis, S., Asseng, S., Aubry, P., Balkovic, J., Basso, B., Chen, X., Chen, Y., de Jong van Lier, Q., Delandmeter, M., de Wit, A., Dumont, B., ... Palosuo, T. (2025). Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity. Nature Food, 6(6), 553-562. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y

@article{43bfc97da68e4a029ad7e66fa04c00df,

title = "Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity",

abstract = "With the changing climate, soil waterlogging is a growing threat to food security. Yet, contemporary approaches employed in crop models to simulate waterlogging are in their infancy. By analysing 21 crop models, we show that critical deficiencies persist in accurately simulating capillary rise, crop resistance to transient periods of waterlogging, crop recovery mechanisms, and the effects on soil nitrogen processes, phenology and yield components. This hinders the ability of such models to reliably simulate the impacts of excessive soil moisture. Advanced crop modelling analytics will enable scenario analysis and, with time, farming systems adaptation to climate change and increasing frequency of crop failure due to waterlogging.",

author = "Margarita Garcia-Vila and \{dos Santos Vianna\}, Murilo and Harrison, \{Matthew Tom\} and Ke Liu and \{de S. N{\'o}ia-J{\'u}nior\}, Rog{\'e}rio and Weber, \{Tobias K.D.\} and Jin Zhao and Marco Acutis and Sotirios Archontoulis and Senthold Asseng and Pierre Aubry and Juraj Balkovic and Bruno Basso and Xianguan Chen and Yi Chen and \{de Jong van Lier\}, Quirijn and Mathieu Delandmeter and \{de Wit\}, Allard and Benjamin Dumont and Roberto Ferrise and Christian Folberth and Mara Gabbrielli and Thomas Gaiser and Aram Gorooei and Gerrit Hoogenboom and Kersebaum, \{Kurt Christian\} and Kim, \{Yean Uk\} and David Kraus and Bing Liu and Lioba Martin and Klaas Metselaar and Claas Nendel and Gloria Padovan and Alessia Perego and Seserman, \{Diana Maria\} and Clemens Scheer and Vakhtang Shelia and Valentina Stocca and Fulu Tao and Enli Wang and Heidi Webber and Zhigan Zhao and Yan Zhu and Taru Palosuo",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Springer Nature Limited 2025.",

year = "2025",

month = jun,

doi = "10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y",

language = "English",

volume = "6",

pages = "553--562",

journal = "Nature Food",

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Garcia-Vila, M, dos Santos Vianna, M, Harrison, MT, Liu, K, de S. Nóia-Júnior, R, Weber, TKD, Zhao, J, Acutis, M, Archontoulis, S, Asseng, S, Aubry, P, Balkovic, J, Basso, B, Chen, X, Chen, Y, de Jong van Lier, Q, Delandmeter, M, de Wit, A, Dumont, B, Ferrise, R, Folberth, C, Gabbrielli, M, Gaiser, T, Gorooei, A, Hoogenboom, G, Kersebaum, KC, Kim, YU, Kraus, D, Liu, B, Martin, L, Metselaar, K, Nendel, C, Padovan, G, Perego, A, Seserman, DM, Scheer, C, Shelia, V, Stocca, V, Tao, F, Wang, E, Webber, H, Zhao, Z, Zhu, Y & Palosuo, T 2025, 'Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity', Nature Food, vol. 6, no. 6, pp. 553-562. https://doi.org/10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y

TY - JOUR

T1 - Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity

AU - Garcia-Vila, Margarita

AU - dos Santos Vianna, Murilo

AU - Harrison, Matthew Tom

AU - Liu, Ke

AU - de S. Nóia-Júnior, Rogério

AU - Weber, Tobias K.D.

AU - Zhao, Jin

AU - Acutis, Marco

AU - Archontoulis, Sotirios

AU - Asseng, Senthold

AU - Aubry, Pierre

AU - Balkovic, Juraj

AU - Basso, Bruno

AU - Chen, Xianguan

AU - Chen, Yi

AU - de Jong van Lier, Quirijn

AU - Delandmeter, Mathieu

AU - de Wit, Allard

AU - Dumont, Benjamin

AU - Ferrise, Roberto

AU - Folberth, Christian

AU - Gabbrielli, Mara

AU - Gaiser, Thomas

AU - Gorooei, Aram

AU - Hoogenboom, Gerrit

AU - Kersebaum, Kurt Christian

AU - Kim, Yean Uk

AU - Kraus, David

AU - Liu, Bing

AU - Martin, Lioba

AU - Metselaar, Klaas

AU - Nendel, Claas

AU - Padovan, Gloria

AU - Perego, Alessia

AU - Seserman, Diana Maria

AU - Scheer, Clemens

AU - Shelia, Vakhtang

AU - Stocca, Valentina

AU - Tao, Fulu

AU - Wang, Enli

AU - Webber, Heidi

AU - Zhao, Zhigan

AU - Zhu, Yan

AU - Palosuo, Taru

PY - 2025/6

Y1 - 2025/6

N2 - With the changing climate, soil waterlogging is a growing threat to food security. Yet, contemporary approaches employed in crop models to simulate waterlogging are in their infancy. By analysing 21 crop models, we show that critical deficiencies persist in accurately simulating capillary rise, crop resistance to transient periods of waterlogging, crop recovery mechanisms, and the effects on soil nitrogen processes, phenology and yield components. This hinders the ability of such models to reliably simulate the impacts of excessive soil moisture. Advanced crop modelling analytics will enable scenario analysis and, with time, farming systems adaptation to climate change and increasing frequency of crop failure due to waterlogging.

AB - With the changing climate, soil waterlogging is a growing threat to food security. Yet, contemporary approaches employed in crop models to simulate waterlogging are in their infancy. By analysing 21 crop models, we show that critical deficiencies persist in accurately simulating capillary rise, crop resistance to transient periods of waterlogging, crop recovery mechanisms, and the effects on soil nitrogen processes, phenology and yield components. This hinders the ability of such models to reliably simulate the impacts of excessive soil moisture. Advanced crop modelling analytics will enable scenario analysis and, with time, farming systems adaptation to climate change and increasing frequency of crop failure due to waterlogging.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105007310775

U2 - 10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y

DO - 10.1038/s43016-025-01179-y

M3 - Review article

AN - SCOPUS:105007310775

SN - 2662-1355

VL - 6

SP - 553

EP - 562

JO - Nature Food

JF - Nature Food

IS - 6

ER -

Gaps and strategies for accurate simulation of waterlogging impacts on crop productivity

Abstract

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