Simulating nitrate leaching under winter wheat grown on a structured clay soil considering bypass flow

Nitrate leaching from drained plots of structured clay soil under winter wheat is simulated for one growing season using the SOILN model. Results are compared with field measurements from two replicate plots. Soil water movement is simulated both with and without a bypass flow component using the SOIL model. Flow to held drains and soil water content in the root zone are simulated better when bypass flow is included. The results emphasise the importance of considering bypass flow in modelling leaching from structured clay soils. Simulations of nitrate leaching using the SOILN model show that the model captures the main features of the cumulative loss of nitrate over the year.