AquaCrop
AquaCrop is a crop growth model developed by the FAO to address food security and assess the effects of environment and management on crop production. AquaCrop simulates the yield response of crops to water and is particularly well suited to conditions in which water is a key limiting factor in crop production.
AquaCrop balances accuracy, simplicity and robustness. To ensure its wide applicability, AquaCrop uses only a small number of explicit parameters and mostly intuitive input variables which users can determine using simple calculations, while still representing the key biophysical processes that drive crop growth and water use in the plant–soil system. Model inputs include weather data, crop and soil characteristics, and management practices that define the environment in which the crop develops.
In practice, AquaCrop serves as a planning and decision-support tool for both irrigated and rainfed agriculture. It is widely used to analyse crop responses to environmental changes, evaluate water productivity and explore strategies for sustainable production under water-deficit conditions.