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

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.