Methods For Estimating Crop Water Requirements

Name: Pepito, Haidee D
Section: BSA4B AGEXT
Methods for Estimating Crop Water Requirements
1. Reference Evapotranspiration (ET₀) Method
Description: The ET₀ method estimates the amount of water that evaporates from the soil and
is transpired by plants under ideal conditions. This provides a reference value for crop water
requirements.
Formula: A commonly used formula is the Penman-Monteith equation:
Application: Used to calculate irrigation needs by determining how much water crops lose
through evaporation and transpiration. Widely applied in climate stations to assist farmers in
water management.
2. Crop Coefficient (Kc) Method
Description: The Kc method multiplies the reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) by a crop

coefficient (Kc) specific to the crop's growth stage to get the crop's actual water requirements.
Formula:
Application: This method adjusts the ET₀ to reflect the specific water requirements of different
crops, taking into account their growth stage, canopy structure, and rooting depth.
Example: For wheat, the Kc values range from 0.4 (initial stage) to 1.15 (mid-season), and back
to 0.25 at maturity.
3. Climate-based Methods
Description: These methods estimate water requirements based on climate data such as
temperature, humidity, solar radiation, and wind speed. Various empirical formulas are derived
for different climates and regions.
Examples:
● Blaney-Criddle method: Simplified formula for estimating ET₀ based on temperature.

● Hargreaves method: Used in regions where only temperature data is available.
Application: In areas where detailed meteorological data is unavailable, climate-based

methods are useful for a rough estimate of crop water needs.
4. Pan-Evaporation Method
Description: This method measures the amount of water that evaporates from an open pan
and uses a pan coefficient (Kp) to estimate crop evapotranspiration.
Formula:
Application: Often used in irrigation scheduling in agricultural areas with nearby evaporation
pans. It’s a simple and direct method where a standard evaporation pan (e.g., Class A Pan) is
placed on the field.
Example: In an area with a pan evaporation of 6 mm/day and a Kp of 0.8, the crop
evapotranspiration would be 4.8 mm/day.
5. Soil Water Balance Method
Description: This method involves tracking the balance between water inputs (irrigation and
rainfall) and outputs (evapotranspiration, runoff, drainage) in the soil.
Formula:
Application: Common in field management to maintain the right amount of moisture in the soil
for optimal crop growth. Useful in determining irrigation needs and identifying potential water
shortages.
6. Remote Sensing and Satellite-based Methods
Description: These methods use data from satellites to estimate crop water requirements over
large areas. They assess variables such as surface temperature, vegetation cover, and soil
moisture.
Examples:
● MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer): Measures vegetation

indices and land surface temperature.
● Landsat: Provides high-resolution imagery to track changes in crop health and water
use.
Application: Useful for regional water management, especially in large-scale agriculture.

Remote sensing can monitor crop water stress and guide irrigation planning.
7. Crop-simulation Models
Description: These models simulate crop growth and water use based on inputs like climate,
soil conditions, and management practices. Models such as AquaCrop and DSSAT (Decision
Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer) are commonly used.
Application: Used for predicting yield and water use under different scenarios, helping farmers
optimize irrigation scheduling and resource management. These models help in long-term
planning, factoring in variables like climate change.
8. Field Observations
Description: This is a manual method where farmers observe crop conditions, soil moisture,
and other environmental factors to estimate water requirements.
Techniques:
● Tensiometers: Measure soil water tension to determine irrigation timing.

● Gravimetric Method: Involves collecting soil samples and measuring their moisture
content by weight.
Application: Field observations are widely used by smallholder farmers to make practical
decisions about when and how much to irrigate.
Irrigation Scheduling Software and Tools
These software tools help automate the process of determining when and how much to irrigate,
integrating data from various sources such as climate stations, soil sensors, and crop models.
Examples:
● FAO CROPWAT: Assists in irrigation planning and management.

● IRRIMODEL: Uses crop coefficients and ET₀ for irrigation scheduling.
● SCHEDULER: A tool for scheduling irrigation based on soil moisture and crop water
requirements.
Application: These tools are used by farmers, irrigation managers, and agricultural consultants
to optimize water use, improve yields, and ensure sustainable farming practices. They integrate
multiple data points to offer precise and timely irrigation recommendations.
References
Allen, R. G., Pereira, L. S., Raes, D., & Smith, M. (1998). Crop evapotranspiration: Guidelines
for computing crop water requirements (FAO Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 56).
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
https://www.fao.org/3/X0490E/x0490e00.htm
Hargreaves, G. H., & Samani, Z. A. (1985). Reference crop evapotranspiration from

temperature. Applied Engineering in Agriculture, 1(2), 96–99.
https://doi.org/10.13031/2013.26773
Blaney, H. F., & Criddle, W. D. (1962). Determining water requirements in irrigated areas from
climatological and irrigation data (Technical Paper No. 96). USDA Soil Conservation
Service.
Doorenbos, J., & Pruitt, W. O. (1977). Crop water requirements (FAO Irrigation and Drainage
Paper No. 24). Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
Jensen, M. E., Burman, R. D., & Allen, R. G. (Eds.). (1990). Evapotranspiration and irrigation
water requirements (ASCE Manuals and Reports on Engineering Practice No. 70).
American Society of Civil Engineers.
Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO). (2024). CROPWAT 8.0 for Windows: A user guide.
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.
https://www.fao.org/land-water/databases-and-software/cropwat/en/
Steduto, P., Hsiao, T. C., Raes, D., & Fereres, E. (2009). AquaCrop—The FAO crop model to
simulate yield response to water: I. Concepts and underlying principles. Agronomy
Journal, 101(3), 426–437. https://doi.org/10.2134/agronj2008.0139s

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Name: Pepito, Haidee D

Section: BSA4B AGEXT

Methods for Estimating Crop Water Requirements

1. Reference Evapotranspiration (ET₀) Method

Formula: A commonly used formula is the Penman-Monteith equation:

2. Crop Coefficient (Kc) Method

Description: The Kc method multiplies the reference evapotranspiration (ET₀) by a crop

● Blaney-Criddle method: Simplified formula for estimating ET₀ based on temperature.

Application: In areas where detailed meteorological data is unavailable, climate-based

5. Soil Water Balance Method

● MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer): Measures vegetation

Application: Useful for regional water management, especially in large-scale agriculture.

● Tensiometers: Measure soil water tension to determine irrigation timing.

Irrigation Scheduling Software and Tools

● FAO CROPWAT: Assists in irrigation planning and management.

Hargreaves, G. H., & Samani, Z. A. (1985). Reference crop evapotranspiration from

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