“…Central to modeling irrigation management practices under shallow groundwater conditions (such as in the Yellow River basin) is simulating the soil moisture content accurately (Batalha et al, 2018, Gleeson et al, 2016Jasechko and Taylor, 2015;Venkatesh et al, 2011a) because the moisture content plays a critical role in the growth of crops (Rodriguez-Iturbe, 2000), groundwater recharge (Hodnett and Bell, 1986) and upward movement of water to the root zone in areas (Gleeson et al, 2016;Jasechko and Taylor, 2015;Venkatesh et al, 2011a;Batalha et al, 2018). The last effect is unique to shallow groundwater areas where the moisture content and thus the unsaturated conductivity are high and where the drying of the surface soil sets up the hydraulic gradient that causes the upward capillary movement from the shallow groundwater (Kahlown et al, 2005;Liu et al, 2016;Luo and Sophocleous, 2010;Yeh and Famiglietti, 2009). The upward-moving water contains salt that is deposit in the root zone and at the surface.…”