SaltMod :   agro-hydro-soil-salinity model for drainage, leaching of salts, and land rehabilitation
Totally free download of software

Summary: SaltMod is a mathematical, numerical computer program for the simulation and prediction of the salinity of soil moisture, ground and drainage water, the depth of the water table, drain discharge and leaching of salts in irrigated agricultural lands under different geohydrologic conditions, varying water management options, including the (re)use of groundwater for irrigation by pumping from wells (conjunctive use), and several crop rotation schedules. It uses salt and water balances (budgets) in the soil.
    The model aims at sustainable land use and environmentally sound optimal water management for sustainability and can be used for the modeling of reclamation (remediation, rehabilitation, restoration) of saline soils.
Details:
Optionally, farmers' responses can be simulated adjusting agriculture and irrigation to waterlogging and soil salinity.

A new version of SaltMod was issued on 19 September 2011 which gives the possibility to include the type of crop rotation in the farmers' responses so that, for example, unirrigated (fallow) land can be included in the rotation pattern provided it is not salinized. Further, on 6 Februari 2012, the farmers' responses were extended with the option to set the maximum soil salinity allowed by them before they begin abandoning part of the land.
 
The model calculates the actual evaporation from the potential evapotranspiration, the capillary rise and the deep percolation.

The SaltMod mathematics can be inspected in the background document while the user interface can be consulted at the model menu.

Start: The program starts clicking on Saltmod.Exe.
More information is given in the program itself.

Acknowledements:
On 3 August 2011, through correspondence with Mrs. Shabnam Alinejad, a bug was detected in the SaltMod model and it was was quickly removed. On 24 September the input interface, in some cases, was given a multiple choice box instead of an edit box.
Experiences: For improvement, I am interested to learn about your experiences with SaltMod. For this, there is a contact form.
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SaltModM (modern)




salty soil model




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SaltMod (classic)

crops and soil salinity model Hints

 A version called SaltModM with a modernized user interface for the input replaces the classic version. In June 2020 it was considered necessary to provide the modernized SaltModM version with the option to pause the calculations each year so that input changes (for example the seasonal rainfall) can be made annually.
          Another version has been made, called SaltModMY, with the possibility to include in the input menu the seasonal irrigation, rainfall, runoff, surface drainage and agricultural data for all years over which the model is instructed to run. The yearly pause for manual input changes is then not required. This version van be made available on request. but it can also be downloaded from this address.
          On 6 October 2012, thanks to comments made by Jason Keller and Jacob Scherberg, a simpler version of SaltMod was introduced by the name of SaltCalc. It lacks the crop rotation and farmers' response options, but it permits the calculation of daily, weekly or monthly instead of seasonal water and salt balances in the soil.

 Documentation

The manual contains the principles, theory, user manual and examples of applications. It can be found directly as PDF document or on the articles page from where it can also be downloaded.

The introduction of the manual can be viewed here.
The table of contents of the manual can be seen here on-line.
In addition, a PowerPoint slide show can be viewed on-line or downloaded.

A description of the principles of water and salt balances in the soil on which SaltMod is based is to be found on this balances page

An article on the application of SaltMod in Egypt was published in the Annual report of ILRI. See SaltMod in Egypt.
SaltMod in Leziria Grande.
Futher, an article on the application of SaltModM in India can be found at SaltMod modeling, while an article on SaltModMY is to be seen at SaltMod yearly input.
          A paper on the farmers' responses to shallow depth of the water table and/or high soil salinity can be downloaded from the farmers paper.
A project report on the influence of quantity of irrigation water on the agro-hydro-salinity conditions of the soil using the SaltModM model with data from the Mashtul Pilot Area, Egypt can be consulted at Mashtul document.

A list of publications in world literature (some 50) where SaltMod was used can be seen in this SaltMod list

a bird

  This is to return to the software page or else to the home page.
    Screen print of SaltMod figure:
simulation of salinity in irrigated land In SaltMod there are various soil layers including the rootzone and aquifer.
There can be subareas with different irrigation intensity, as well as fallow land.
Reuse of drainage water and water pumped up from the wells form part of the model. 		 
  Example 1 of output:
output of salt and water balance in the soil The salinity of the transition zone in this case appears to reduce in each season and in every year, but after year 11 it will come to an equilibrium.  
  Example 2 of output:
percolation and leaching The capillary rise into the transition zone of the unirrigated land starts in year 5.
Thereafter, in season 2, it remains constant at 40 mm per season.
In season 1 the capillary rise continues to increase up to year 21, whereafter it reduces.
The reason for the reduction may be that irrigated land is being abandoned due to salinization so that to flow of percolation losses to the unirrigated land reduces and the capillary rise follows suit. 		 
  Example 3 of output:
leaching efficiency and reclamation Intially the watertable is quite deep, but due to the introduction of irrigation, it starts rising, to reach an equilibrium after year 7.
In season 1, which is the irrigation seaon, the water table after year 7 is shallower than in season 2.