Estimation of irrigation water requirement and irrigation scheduling for major crops using the CROPWAT model and climatic data

Abstract

The world is facing an acute water shortage. The present irrigation techniques used in the Hyderabad district, Pakistan, are not demand-driven. The present study was carried out to determine the crop water requirement (CWR), irrigation water requirement (IWR), and irrigation scheduling for major crops grown in the Hyderabad district using the CROPWAT model based on climatic, soil, and crop data. The analysis revealed that the total CWR for the entire growing season for sugarcane, banana, cotton, and wheat were 3,127.0; 2,012.3; 1,073.5; and 418.9 mm, respectively. However, the IWR for sugarcane, banana, cotton, and wheat for the entire growing season was found to be 2,964.0; 1,966.7; 1,052.7; and 407.6 mm, respectively. However, the contribution of rainfall was 163.0, 45.6, 20.8, and 11.3 mm during sugarcane, banana, cotton, and wheat, respectively. The CWR and IWR were higher during the dry season due to high temperatures and low relative humidity. However, the IWR of each crop was low in the initial stage which increased with the growing stage until the peak at the full growth stage. The study recommends the use of CROPWAT to investigate the irrigation water requirements with accuracy.