Application of Aquacrop and Cropwat Models for Estimating Crop Water Requirements and Irrigation Scheduling for Hot Pepper in Metekel Zone, Benishangul Gumuz Regional State

Abstract

The model simulation is a simplification of the field processes. In metekel zone understanding how much and when to irrigate their crops is proplems of farmers. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the crop water requirement and irrigation scheduling of pepper for the study area to solve the problem. Crop, soil physical and chemical, collected long-term daily climatic and irrigation water quality data, used for crop water requirement and irrigation scheduling using CropWat and AquaCrop models. The result revealed that maximum Crop water requirementof pepper (799.9 mm) was estimated in Guba and minimum ETc pepper (632.2 mm) was estmimated in Bullen using CropWat Model. However, using AquaCrop model the maximum ETc of pepper (779.5 mm) and minimum ETc of pepper (591.3mm) was estimated in Wembera.. Moreover, it observed that the irrigation scheduling with a fixed interval criterion for pepper 7 days with 21 irrigation events, has been determined. Among the performance indicators, root mean square error normalized values of pepper was 3.2%, and nash-sutcliffe efficiency index values of pepper was 0.99 and prediction error values of pepper were 0.02, -0.08, -0.06, 0.03, -0.07, in Pawe, Mandura, Guba, Bullen, Wembera respectively. This show that AquaCrop model used to simulate cropwater requirements of pepper with relatively similar results as CropWat in Metekel zone. Citation: Mitku D.T. (2022) Application of Aquacrop and Cropwat Models for Estimating Crop Water Requirements and Irrigation Scheduling for Hot Pepper  in  Metekel Zone, Benishangul Gumuz Regional State, British Journal of Earth Sciences Research , Vol.10, No.4, pp.37-61