Crop Water Requirements In Arid Climate Of Kachhi Plain, Balochistan

Abstract

Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.Global demands for food & fiber are increasing, necessitating efficient management
of the irrigated water. Vast-uncultivated but otherwise fertile lands in Baluchistan, Pakistan attract the
authorities to develop the land for agriculture through irrigation. Kachhi plains are one of such areas
that will be provided canal water through a gravity canal system off-taking from Indus river at Taunsa
Barrage. Efficient use of water especially in arid climates requires good estimates of crop water
requirements (CWR). Physical based methods of estimating crop water requirement including the
Radiation-Resistance based methods take into account the energy radiated from various sources and
the atmospheric resistance depending on air circulation and humidity. This study employs a radiationresistance based Penman Monteith Equation (Allen et al., 1998) through a spread sheet based tool
and CROPWAT software to estimate the crop water requirements in Kachhi Plains, the study area.
The study compares the reference crop evapotranspiration with four other well known methods.
Meteorological data namely rainfall, temperature, humidity, actual sunshine hours of the closest
meteorological station i.e. Jacobabad station is used for the study. Crop coefficients are calculated
using FAO guidelines. Total water requirement for Wheat is estimated as 380 mm, while that for
Cotton is 928 mm. Crop water requirement calculated by the spreadsheet matches well with that from
CROPWAT. The result differs by 3 % from the crop water requirements estimated/used by the
feasibility report of the Kachhi Canal. Staggering of major crops (wheat, cotton) have been
incorporated while computing the CWR. The study can be used for optimization of the cropping
pattern and can further be extended by estimation of crop water requirement using lysimeter in the
study area. It can also be used to study the impact analysis of meteorological data on the crop water
requirement.