When air temperatures drop below 1 °C irrigation water is applied to prevent crops from frost damage. During times of anomalously low air temperatures, the risk of nitrate leaching is increased by as much as 318 % from frost prevention irrigation under normal local conditions.
The GLEAMS simulation model was successfully calibrated for Sa Pobla conditions under potato cropping as shown by RMSE values for the water transport module of 0.19, 0.14 and 0.13 for the calibration period and 0.20, 0.25 and 0.15 for the validation period at depths of 0.3, 0.6, and 0.9 m respectively; and for the chemical transport module the R2 value was 0.82 for the calibration period and 0.60 for the validation period. Consequently, for Sa Pobla conditions, GLEAMS can be used to assess the effectiveness of different agricultural management practices to reduce nitrate leaching. It was concluded that additional irrigation water applied for frost prevention plays a very important role in nitrate leaching below the root zone, which enhances the nitrogen loading to the aquifer.