Making the Best Use of Limited Water with the Aquacrop Model.

AquaCrop is a relatively simple model developed by FAO, United Nations, to simulate the productivity and yield responses of herbaceous crop species to water supply and deficits. The model, based on underlying physiology and physical processes, is suitable for devising irrigation and water management strategies to minimize water use while enhancing crop productivity, under different climate regimes and soil conditions. In this presentation, the nature of the model, its required inputs and calibration, and its variety of outputs are reviewed first. The wide range of possible applications of the model to improve water management and conservations is described. This is followed by specific examples of its use and the resultant improvement in water productivity under different water limiting conditions for several different crops.