Using CROPWAT model for estimating irrigation scheduling of major crops in Amarah Governorate, Eastern Iraq, to promote water sustainability

Saadoun, Sahar Fadhil (author), Al-Bahathy, Idrees Ali (author), Al Gharawi, Ilfiras Abdulkareem (author), Al-Janabi, Zaharaa Zahraw (author), Atiyah, Hadeia Abed (author)

The FAO-CROPWAT 8.0 model was used to assess the perfect water requirements for crops as well as the irrigation needs for wheat, maize, and rice in the Amarah Governorate, a region located in eastern Iraq. The crops water requirements ranged from 222.1 to 1,127.4 millimeters per decade for wheat, 982.7 to 957.2 millimeters per decade for maize, and 1,469.3 to 1,863.4 millimeters per decade for rice. The results showed that the irrigation water requirement of each crop was the lowest at the initial crop growth and later on it rose when a crop was in the development stage as compared with the other three phases, because of the high value of reference evapotranspiration that occurs during the months that fall within the growing phase. Irrigation scheduling revealed that rice and maize had to be irrigated more frequently than wheat, which is explained by the lower amount of rainfall during the planting period of these crops. Finally, these irrigation scheduling made by CROPWAT helps to reduce water consumption and achieves water sustainability.

• Language: English
• Keywords: CROPWAT, evapotranspiration, sustainability, water requirement, crops
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: BF - Biotechnical Faculty
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2026
• Number of pages: 10 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 122, no. 3
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-189473
• UDC: 631
• ISSN on article: 1854-1941
• DOI: 10.14720/aas.2026.122.3.25920
• COBISS.SI-ID: 294099203
• Publication date in RUL: 07.10.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Acta agriculturae Slovenica
• Publisher: Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Biotehniška fakulteta, Oddelek za agronomijo in Oddelek za zootehniko, Univerza v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fakulteta, Založba Univerze v Ljubljani
• ISSN: 1854-1941
• COBISS.SI-ID: 219581184

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Uporaba modela CROPWAT za ocenjevanje razporeda namakanja glavnih poljščin v governoratu Amarah v vzhodnem Iraku za spodbujanje trajnostnega upravljanja z vodo
• Keywords: evapotranspiracija, trajnost, potrebe po vodi, pridelki, modeli