Integrating WOFOST and Noah LSM for modeling maize production and soil moisture with sensitivity analysis, in the east of The Netherlands

Furthermore, a two-step sensitivity analysis procedure, composed of the screening model and the Sobol's variance-based method, was applied to 40 parameters for distinguishing and evaluating the parameters influencing the performance of the vegetation and the soil schemes of WOFOST and Noah LSM respectively. Change in WSO in response to change in the parameters was the judging criteria. It was found that changes in parameters describing the moisture state and hydraulic properties of the soil (e.g. porosity and hydraulic conductivity) showed the greatest change in WSO (∼4000 kg ha−1) with the highest interactions with other parameters (standard deviation > 3000 kg ha−1) especially under high levels of soil moisture content. Variations of parameters describing the crop phenology also showed high change of WSO (2000 kg ha−1-4000 kg ha−1) with high interactions with other parameters(2000 kg ha−1 > standard deviation > 3000 kg ha−1), especially under conditions of good water-air balance in the soil voids.