TA-3: Irrigation Water Management (Crop Modelling, ET & Field Experiments)

This thematic area focuses on understanding how much water crops actually need, when they need it, and how water use can be optimized at the field and regional scale. TA-3 brings together evapotranspiration estimation, irrigation scheduling, crop-water productivity analysis, and field experimentation across different agro-ecological regions. It supports water-efficient crop production by combining on-ground measurements, controlled irrigation treatments, and simulation-based predictions.

Three work packages operate here. WP-4 focuses on crop modelling using DSSAT, developing more than 30 models across rice, wheat, and other crops under multiple irrigation regimes. WP-5 is responsible for experimental field plots in Natore, Manikganj, and Satkhira—generating multi-season datasets on soil moisture, ET, phenology, and yield. WP-6 covers evapotranspiration modelling using sensor, weather, and satellite inputs. Together, these WPs generate irrigation demand estimates, crop response functions, and the scientific basis for resource-smart irrigation strategies.