Application of advanced computer technologies in determination of irrigation regimes for cotton in water scarcity areas

Abstract

Agriculture is one of climate change's most sensitive economic sectors. In Uzbekistan, 95% of agricultural products come from irrigated lands. Because the agricultural sector of Uzbekistan meets the population's demand for food and industrial raw materials, ensuring national food security. Different climatic and soil-hydrogeological variations are countrywide significant to assess the possible increase in crop water demand and to determine the water consumption and irrigation regime in the irrigated lands. Therefore, this research aimed to create the hydrological module-zoning (HMZ) map of irrigated lands using geoinformation systems (GIS) technologies by employing spatial soil-hydrogeological data and determining water consumption and irrigation regimes for cotton according to FAO methodology. The area of investigation was the irrigated agricultural lands of the northern regions of the Republic of Karakalpakstan, located in Uzbekistan, which has undergone significant climate change over the last 30 years due to the Aral Sea tragedy and is faced with water scarcity. HMZ map of the study area has been figured out by ArcGIS 10.8 program based on Bespalov's methodology. Determining water demand of cotton developed by developed HMZs based on the CropWat 8.0 program using meteorological parameters. The study showed that identified areas of HMZ and the irrigation regime for cotton by Bespolov in the 80s of the last century have significantly changed because of climate change.