Irrigation Water Management and Crop Water Requirements
Summary
Irrigation water management encompasses the planning, scheduling and delivery of water to optimise crop growth while conserving finite freshwater resources. Central to this discipline is the quantification of crop water requirements, which depend on climatic variables, soil properties and plant physiology. Reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) models such as the FAO Penman–Monteith equation provide a baseline estimate of atmospheric water loss, which is then adjusted by a crop coefficient (Kc) to derive the actual water demand of specific crops. Modern irrigation strategies range from surface furrow and border systems to precision techniques such as drip and sprinkler irrigation, each with distinct efficiencies and infrastructural needs. Decision support tools, including the CROPWAT model, integrate meteorological data and crop calendars to inform irrigation scheduling, thus reducing deep percolation losses and non-beneficial evaporation. Underlying these technical considerations are challenges posed by climate change, salinisation of groundwater and competition for urban and environmental uses. Advances in remote sensing and soil moisture sensors now facilitate real-time management, enabling farmers and water agencies to balance yield goals with sustainability imperatives on a global scale.
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Irrigation Water Management and Crop Water Requirements publication trend
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Technical terms
Evapotranspiration: Combined process of water evaporation from soil and plant surfaces and transpiration through plant stomata.
Reference evapotranspiration (ET₀): Standardised rate of evapotranspiration from a reference grass surface under ideal conditions, used as a baseline for crop water demand.
Crop coefficient (Kc): Dimensionless factor representing the crop’s water use relative to ET₀ at different growth stages.
Crop water requirement (CWR): Total volume of water needed by a crop to meet evapotranspiration demands and sustain growth over its production cycle.
Net irrigation water requirement (NIWR): Volume of water that must be supplied by irrigation after accounting for effective rainfall and soil moisture contributions.
References
- Impact of climatic changes on future irrigation water requirement in the Middle East and North Africa's region: a case study of upper Egypt. Applied Water Science (2023).
- Investigation of Irrigation Water Requirement and Evapotranspiration for Water Resource Management in Southern Punjab, Pakistan. Sustainability (2023).
- Climate Change Impacts on Water Resources in Arid and Semi-Arid Regions: A Case Study in Saudi Arabia. Water (2023).
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