Estimation of crop water requirement and irrigation scheduling of rice in Shivamogga district of Karnatakausing FAO CROPWAT

Abstract

Climate change is expected to have a significant impact on the water needs of rice crop worldwide in the upcoming decades. Proper water management is essential to enhance crop yield as well as maximising the region’s water use efficiency. The purpose of this study was to estimate the crop water requirement (CWR) and irrigation scheduling of rice in Shivamogga district of Karnataka using FAO CROPWAT model for a time span of 20 years (2001 to 2020). It was estimated that the crop water requirement of rice was 565.50 mm (average of 20 years) with the highest and lowest CWR (606.1 and 527.9 mm) in 2011 and 2001, respectively. Crop water requirement value showed a slight increasing trend (R² = 0.0544) throughout the years from 2001 to 2020. Total gross irrigation (TGI) and total net irrigation (TNI) for rice was 491.61 and 344.12 mm, respectively during the study period. The present study is useful for effective planning and management of irrigation water needs of rice in Shivamogga district of Karnataka.