Zhang et al. (2026) Coupling root-zone osmotic monitoring with dynamic behavioral tariffs: A spatiotemporal eco-hydroeconomic allocation framework for salinity mitigation and groundwater resilience

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-21
• Authors: Yaojie Zhang, Wen Liu, Jianjun Li, Peiyu Zhu
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110753

Research Groups

• Jeonju University, Korea
• Shanxi Agricultural University, China
• Nanjing Normal University, China

Short Summary

This study presents a spatiotemporal eco-hydroeconomic allocation framework that couples root-zone osmotic monitoring with dynamic behavioral tariffs to mitigate salinity and groundwater resilience in arid irrigation systems. The framework reduces peak root zone salinity by 37–45% relative to static scheduling across contrasting soil textures, while maintaining farm gate revenue.

Objective

• To develop a real-time management system for conjunctive surface water and groundwater use that links immediate salinity risk to economic incentives governing extraction.
• To design an operational mechanism that reads the real-time osmotic state of the root zone and converts it into both a physically constrained blending decision and an economically calibrated price signal.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: 2400 ha hyperarid alluvial command area in arid irrigated basins.
• Temporal Scale: One irrigation season, with simulation over historical drought sequence.

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Constrained linear programming optimizer for surface water and groundwater blending, and a dynamic scarcity pricing module.
• Data sources: Proximal soil moisture and electrical conductivity sensing, historical climate data, and canal supply availability.

Main Results

• The framework lowered peak root zone salinity by 37–45% relative to static scheduling across contrasting soil textures.
• Reduced dependence on shallow aquifer while maintaining farm gate revenue across farm size categories.

Contributions

• Original value of the article with respect to existing literature lies in the explicit synchronization of biophysical and economic control within one spatially distributed loop, which reframes water pricing as an agronomic instrument rather than a fiscal one.

Funding

• This study was funded by [project name], [program name], and [reference code].

Citation

@article{Zhang2026Coupling,
  author = {Zhang, Yaojie and Liu, Wen and Li, Jianjun and Zhu, Peiyu},
  title = {Coupling root-zone osmotic monitoring with dynamic behavioral tariffs: A spatiotemporal eco-hydroeconomic allocation framework for salinity mitigation and groundwater resilience},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110753},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110753}
}