Jayasuriya et al. (2025) The HYDRUS model for soil and water management: A brief review of capabilities, trends, and future directions

Identification

• Journal: Environmental Modelling & Software
• Year: 2025
• Date: 2025-11-27
• Authors: V. Jayasuriya, Shashi Prabha, T. Jyolsna
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envsoft.2025.106801

Research Groups

• Department of Soil Science & Agricultural Chemistry, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Kerala, India
• Radiotracer Laboratory, College of Agriculture, Kerala Agricultural University, Vellanikkara, Kerala, India

Short Summary

This paper provides a comprehensive review of the HYDRUS software suite, utilizing a bibliometric analysis of 3154 articles (1993–2024) to quantify its evolution, identify key applications, and synthesize persistent challenges and future research directions in vadose zone modeling.

Objective

• To provide a comprehensive review of the HYDRUS software suite, including its capabilities, historical trends through bibliometric analysis, key applications, persistent scientific challenges, and future research directions in vadose zone modeling.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Global scientific literature review
• Temporal Scale: Bibliometric analysis covering 1993–2024

Methodology and Data

• Models used: The study reviews the HYDRUS software suite and discusses other soil water models (e.g., SWAP, Brooks-Corey, van Genuchten, Fredlund-Xing, Durner, Seki). The study itself primarily employs bibliometric analysis.
• Data sources: 3154 peer-reviewed articles published between 1993 and 2024.

Main Results

• A bibliometric analysis of 3154 articles quantifies the evolution of the HYDRUS software suite from 1993 to 2024, revealing distinct eras of growth and shifting research themes.
• Key applications of HYDRUS are identified in irrigation optimization, nutrient management, and contaminant fate, emphasizing the role of specialized add-on modules for processes like preferential flow and reactive transport.
• Persistent scientific challenges are synthesized, including issues with model parameterization, the representation of nonequilibrium phenomena, and the need for rigorous validation.
• Future research directions are proposed, focusing on enhanced computational efficiency and deeper integration with GIS, remote sensing, and machine learning technologies.

Contributions

• Provides the first comprehensive bibliometric analysis quantifying the trajectory and evolution of the HYDRUS software suite over three decades.
• Synthesizes the current capabilities, key applications, and persistent scientific challenges associated with HYDRUS in vadose zone modeling.
• Identifies and outlines critical future research directions, including technological integrations (GIS, remote sensing, machine learning) and computational enhancements, to address existing limitations and emerging environmental problems.

Funding

• Not specified in the provided text.

Citation

@article{Jayasuriya2025HYDRUS,
  author = {Jayasuriya, V. and Prabha, Shashi and Jyolsna, T.},
  title = {The HYDRUS model for soil and water management: A brief review of capabilities, trends, and future directions},
  journal = {Environmental Modelling & Software},
  year = {2025},
  doi = {10.1016/j.envsoft.2025.106801},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsoft.2025.106801}
}