Soil hydraulic parameters (SHPs) required as inputs for numerical models are scarce in Sahelian regions. Instead, they are estimated using pedotransfer functions (PTFs), but their ability to simulate soil water dynamics has not been evaluated. This study aims to parameterize SHPs with seven different PTFs and inverse modelling to examine their ability to simulate water fluxes in Senegal's Groundnut basin. We used four years of field measurements of soil water content (SWC) and actual evapotranspiration (ET a ) under pearl millet and groundnut crop rotation for model evaluation. Inverse modelling for SWC (root mean square error [RMSE] ≤ 0.015 cm 3 cm −3 ) and ET a (RMSE ≤ 0.62 mm d −1 ) yielded the best model performance compared to PTFs (0.024-0.175 cm 3 cm −3 and 0.68-0.96 mm d −1 , respectively). Where field measurements are lacking for inverse estimation, three of the seven tested PTFs yielded good modelling results and could be used as a parsimonious approach for cultivated Sahelian soils.

PREMISE The expression of shade adaptation traits is expected to be stronger in low light and can be detrimental to flowering and yield. Our study focused on the expression of shade adaptation traits of apple trees (Malus domestica Borkh. ‘Dalinette’) in an agroforestry system. METHODS The architecture of 45 apple trees in their third and fourth year was extensively described and analyzed at the tree scale and compared depending on the light quantity received during the growing season. Flower cluster phenology and the relation between leaf area and floral initiation were also investigated. RESULTS The number of growing shoots and the leaf area were reduced by shade even if specific leaf area increased with increasing shade. Shade did not modify primary growth but did decrease secondary growth, so that apple tree shoots in shade were slender, with a lower taper and reduced number and proportion of flower clusters. The correlation between floral initiation and leaf area was high both in full and moderate light but not for apple trees in low light. Shade did not impact the date of bud burst and the early phenological stages of flower clusters, but it reduced the number of days at full bloom. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that while the architecture of apple trees is modified by a reduction in light intensity, it is not until a reduction of 65% that the capability to produce fruit is impeded. These results could help optimize the design of apple‐tree‐based agroforestry systems.