GRD Journals | Global Research and Development Journal for Engineering | Emerging Research and Innovations in Civil Engineering

(ERICE - 2019) | February 2019

e-ISSN: 2455-5703

A Comparative Study of Irrigation Scheduling for

Tomato by CropWat 9.0, Water Balance Method
and Water Balance Method using Root Zone
Depth by CropWat 9.0 - Case Study for Aat
Distributary Navsari of Navsari Branch Canal
KLBMC, Gujarat, India
1Mansi
Jayeshchandra Pathak 2Dilip Shete
1
Department of Civil Engineering
1
Parul Institute of Technology, Vadodara, Gujarat 2Parul Institute of Engineering and Technology,
Vadodara, Gujarat, India

Abstract
A study was carried out to determine the irrigation water requirement of tomato in Aat Distributary Navsari of Navsari branch
canal KLBMC, by using cropwat 9.0, water balance method and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0. In
this study twelve years of meteorological data from 2005 to 2017 were used. The effective rainfall obtained by cropwat 9.0, water
balance method and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0 is 1093.8 mm, 301.370 mm and 314.310 mm
respectively. Actual seasonal evapotranspiration rate obtained by cropwat 9.0, water balance method and water balance method
using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0 is 634.8 mm, 581.250 mm and 581.250 mm respectively. The net irrigation requirement is
456.4 mm using cropwat 9.0, 257.895 mm using water balance method and 266.035 mm using water balance method using root
zone depth by cropwat 9.0. Irrigation scheduling by using water balance method can save water use up to 198.505 mm and 8.14
mm over cropwat 9.0 and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0 respectively. The water balance method is
more effective and efficient than the cropwat 9.0 and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0, only because
whereas the earlier method used available soil water at time t over the effective root zone depth and remaining available soil water
for irrigation scheduling and cropwat 9.0 used daily soil water available and readily available water for the same purpose.
Keyword- CROPWAT 9.0, Water Balance Method, Irrigation Scheduling, Net Irrigation Requirement, Tomato, AAT
Distributary
__________________________________________________________________________________________________

I. INTRODUCTION
As per Water Policy of Government of Gujarat 2011, water resources planning for development and management of water
resources projects in the state would be implemented, as far as possible, for multi-purpose uses. The provision for drinking water
would be the primary consideration. As most of the major and medium schemes except Sardar Sarovar Project are completed long
ago, to provide water for drinking purpose through the existing canal systems require scientific estimation of crop water
requirement and drinking water requirement. The objectives of the study are to determine actual crop evapotranspiration rate (Eta),
effective rainfall (Re) and net irrigation requirements (NIR). The net irrigation requirements for tomato crop in the irrigated areas
of Aat Distributary of Navsari are presented in this paper.

II. STUDY AREA

The State of Gujarat lies between 21°70’and 20°45’N Latitudes and 73°24’and 73°07’ Longitude (see Map 1)
The study area is Aat Distributary Navsari of Navsari Branch Canal KLBMC Navsari in Navsari District (see Map 2, 3). It is
located at 20.57°N 72.54°E. It has an average elevation of 10m above sea level. Weather in Navsari is sunny from September to
May, rainy from June to August. The average maximum and minimum temperatures are 32.2°C and 21.4°C respectively.

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 A Comparative Study of Irrigation Scheduling for Tomato by CropWat 9.0, Water Balance Method and Water Balance Method using Root Zone Depth by
CropWat 9.0 - Case Study for Aat Distributary Navsari of Navsari Branch Canal KLBMC, Gujarat, India
(GRDJE / CONFERENCE / ERICE - 2019 / 062)

Map 1: Map of Gujarat

Map 2: Location of Navsari in Gujarat state

Map 3: Map of Navsari District

Kakrapar Left Bank Main Canal is looked after by Ambika division (see Map 4). The length of Aat Distributary is 6.100km. It
supplies water to 6 villages’ viz. Eroo, Mandir, Hansapore, Bhutsad, Kalthan, and Aat. Aat Distributary has two minor canals 1)
Dandi minor 2) Onjal minor. The length of Dandi Minor and Onjal Minor are 6.200 km and 6.200 km respectively.

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 A Comparative Study of Irrigation Scheduling for Tomato by CropWat 9.0, Water Balance Method and Water Balance Method using Root Zone Depth by
CropWat 9.0 - Case Study for Aat Distributary Navsari of Navsari Branch Canal KLBMC, Gujarat, India
(GRDJE / CONFERENCE / ERICE - 2019 / 062)

Map 4: Aat Distributary

III. DATA COLLECTION

The Rainfall data, Meteorological data, Canal data, Crop data of Aat distributary were collected from 2005 to 2017.

IV. METHODOLOGY

A. CropWat 9.0
The reference evapotranspiration values (ET0) for each of the sites were calculated from the long term meteorological variables
viz. Monthly Minimum and Maximum temperature, wind speed, sunshine hours and relative humidity using the cropwat 9.0, based
on the Penman-Moeinth formula. The soils physical property of the sites has been determined using the standard soil lab
procedures. The Kc values have been adopted from the FAO 33 and FAO 56 of the irrigation and drainage papers. FAO cropwat
computer model calculated the crop water requirements of the crop and exercising irrigation scheduling for each of the sites.

B. Water Balance Method

Irrigation scheduling is carried out after ensuring that the soil water is full on the crop emergence date of the crop. Effective root
zone depth is achieved at the end of 40% of the cropping season. Therefore daily incremental effective root zone depth is obtained
by dividing the effective root zone depth by 40% of the cropping season. Ground water contribution is neglected but effective
rainfall is considered. Based on the incremental effective root zone depth, incremental storage of soil water and the total available
soil water, available soil water at time, t, over the root depth, D, are calculated. In general, whenever the available soil water at
time t, over the root zone depth D becomes less than the remaining available soil water, irrigation is to be applied so that soil water
is full.
Available soil water = SaD … … … … (1.1)
in which,
Sa = Maximum available soil water holding capacity, mm/m
D = Effective root zone depth, m
Remaining available soil water = (1-p) SaD … … … (1.2)
in which,
p = Soil water depletion fraction which depends on the crop and
crop evapotranspiration rate
Available soil water at time t over the effective root zone depth,(StD)
StD = NI + Pe + S + S(t-1)D – Eta … … … (1.3)
in which,
NI = Net irrigation depth, mm = Sad – (Pe + S + S(t-1)D – Eta) … (1.4)
Pe = Effective rainfall, mm
S = Incremental soil water storage, mm
S(t-1)D = Available soil water at time (t-1) over the root depth, mm
Eta = Actual crop evapotranspiration, mm

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 A Comparative Study of Irrigation Scheduling for Tomato by CropWat 9.0, Water Balance Method and Water Balance Method using Root Zone Depth by
CropWat 9.0 - Case Study for Aat Distributary Navsari of Navsari Branch Canal KLBMC, Gujarat, India
(GRDJE / CONFERENCE / ERICE - 2019 / 062)

C. Water Balance Method using Root Zone Depth by CropWat 9.0

Effective root zone depth is achieved at the end of 48.275% of the cropping season according to cropwat 9.0. Therefore daily
incremental effective root zone depth is obtained by dividing the effective root zone depth by 48.275% of the cropping season.
The same methodology used for water balance method is used later on.

V. RESULTS AND ANALYSIS

The effective rainfall obtained by cropwat 9.0, water balance method and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat
9.0 is 1093.8 mm, 301.370 mm and 314.310 mm respectively. Actual seasonal evapotranspiration rate by cropwat 9.0, water
balance method and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0 is 634.8 mm, 581.250 mm and 581.250 mm
respectively. The net irrigation requirement is 456.4 mm using cropwat 9.0, 257.895 mm using water balance method and 266.035
mm by water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0. Irrigation scheduling using water balance method can save
water up to 198.505 mm and 8.14 mm over cropwat 9.0 and water balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0
respectively. For irrigation scheduling water balance method is more effective and efficient than the cropwat 9.0 and water balance
method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0, only because whereas the earlier method used available soil water at time t over the
effective root zone depth and remaining available soil water for irrigation scheduling and cropwat 9.0 used daily soil water available
and readily available water for the same purpose. Irrigation scheduling by using the different methods are shown below (see Figure
1, 2, and 3).

Fig. 1: Irrigation scheduling for Tomato by CROPWAT 9.0

Fig. 2: Irrigation scheduling for Tomato Fig. 3: Irrigation scheduling for Tomato by water
by Water Balance Method balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0

VI. CONCLUSION
From the above study, it is concluded that the Water Balance Method is more effective and efficient than the cropwat 9.0 and water
balance method using root zone depth by cropwat 9.0. For irrigation scheduling, only because whereas the earlier method used
available soil water at time t over the effective root zone depth and remaining available soil water for irrigation scheduling cropwat
9.0 used daily soil water available and readily available water for the same purpose.

All rights reserved by www.grdjournals.com 314

 A Comparative Study of Irrigation Scheduling for Tomato by CropWat 9.0, Water Balance Method and Water Balance Method using Root Zone Depth by
CropWat 9.0 - Case Study for Aat Distributary Navsari of Navsari Branch Canal KLBMC, Gujarat, India
(GRDJE / CONFERENCE / ERICE - 2019 / 062)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT
Authors are extremely happy to acknowledge the help provided by the Surat Irrigation Circle, Ambika Division Navsari while
furnishing the required data.
Authors are very thankful to Professor A. L. Chalodiya of Navsari Agriculture University who has helped me a lot during our data
collection for the present study.

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