EVALUATION OF AQUACROP MODEL TO PREDICT CROP WATER PRODUCTIVITY FOR PADDY

Abstract

Water and nutrient are critical inputs for crop production, especially in meeting challenges from increasing fertilizer cost and irregular water availability associated with climate change. The Land and Water Division of Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has developed AquaCrop, an integrated application software to simulate the interactions between plant, water, and soil. Field management and irrigation management are the factors that need to be considered since it affects the interactions. Four critical components are needed in the AquaCrop model, viz. climate, crop, field management and soil conditions. In our case study, climate data from a rice field in UtanAji, Kangar, Perlis was applied to run a simulation by using AquaCrop model. The rice crop was also assessed against deficit irrigation schedules and found that optimum water level usage increases the field yield. Results derived from the use of the model corresponded conventional assessment. This model can be adopted to help farmers in Malaysia in planning crop and field management to increase the crop productivity, especially in areas where the water is limited