Unveiling the Thirst: Revealing the Water Requirements of Gujrat's Thriving Crops using CROPWAT 8.0

Abstract

Water plays an essential role in agriculture, serving as a primary reserve that directly impacts crop production and food security. Water conservation is critical for sustainable agriculture and the well-being of communities and ecosystems, chiefly due to the increasing global demand and rising water dearth concerns. The water needs of crops and irrigation scheduling in the district Gujrat, Pakistan, are currently missing enough information. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the crop water requirements and establish irrigation schedules for the major crops in district Gujrat, Pakistan. The crop water requirement (CWR) and irrigation schedules were determined by CROPWAT 8.0 by using the input climate data obtained from the POWER-NASA website from 1991-2020. Other than climatic data, crops (wheat, rice, sugarcane, and maize) and soil information were added from CROPWAT 8.0 pre-existing data. The crop planting dates were estimated by Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI). The gross and net crop water requirements are 624.3 mm and 491.3 mm for wheat, 1805.2 mm and 1768.3 mm for rice, 4135.1 mm and 3537.2 mm for sugarcane, and 1203.5 mm and 1051.4 mm for maize. The deployment of CROPWAT 8.0 proves to be valuable in precisely assessing crop water requirements and computing irrigation scheduling. The study's outcomes show the potential to boost food production and aid in well-organized water reserve management.