Journal of Experimental Agriculture International

Water scarcity is a significant challenge in agriculture, particularly for summer crop production in central India. The long-term sustainability of the summer crop depends on the effective utilization of available water resources through proper irrigation management. This requires precise data on evapotranspiration, crop water requirements, and irrigation scheduling. The study focuses on the assessment of water requirements and its scheduling for summer paddy production on vertisols soil in the Raipur district of Chhattisgarh. The field experiments were observed during the summer seasons of 2023 and 2024 at the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry, Indira Gandhi Krishi Vishwavidyalaya, Raipur, Chhattisgarh, India. The FAO-CROPWAT 8.0 model was employed for the study, which utilized FAO Penman-Monteith method to analyze meteorological data and evaluate reference evapotranspiration (ET₀). The crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) was computed using crop coefficient (Kc) values associated with various developmental stages. A comprehensive water balance model for summer paddy was developed, incorporating soil, climate, and crop variables. The findings indicated that the crop evapotranspiration (ET_c) and irrigation water requirement (Irr Req) for both seasons were 714 mm and 723 mm, and 772 mm and 793 mm, respectively. Upon adjusting for field losses, the total net irrigation requirement (TNIR) was assessed as 988 mm and 1009 mm for 2023 and 2024, whereas combining the irrigation efficiency, the total gross irrigation requirement was evaluated at 1411 mm and 1443 mm, respectively. The study offers essential insights for managing traditional irrigation practices for paddy cultivation, fostering sustainable agriculture, and resource distribution. Employing CROPWAT 8.0 to optimize irrigation schedules and enhance water consumption efficiency facilitates comprehensive decision-making in water resource management, highlighting the necessity for customized methods to meet distinct agricultural water requirements.