Study to determine the irrigation requirements of selected irrigated crops for the years 1995 to 2024 at locations in the Seewinkel region

For grain maize, sugar beet, potato, soybean, sunflower and field vegetables (crop type to be determined), the irrigation requirements of the last 30 years (1995 to 2024) are to be determined for two selected reference areas. The reference areas are selected on the basis of the site conditions (a total of 17 areas are available for selection). The irrigation requirement is determined based on the standard method of the FAO (Allen et al., 1998) in accordance with the state of the art. The required weather data is taken from the Andau weather station (Geosphere Austria data hub). Soil data is taken from the digital Austrian soil map (eBOD). Cultivation data (cultivation dates, stages of development, harvest dates) are provided by the client. Information on cultivation areas from the AMA (freely available) will also be used to estimate the total water requirement. Research questions: How has the plant water demand and the irrigation demand of selected crops at selected locations in the Seewinkel region developed over the last decades? - What would be an optimal irrigation strategy under the given site conditions (climate, soil) and local agricultural crops? - What effects do different weather conditions and irrigation scenarios have on yield? rk steps: - Collection and processing of the required weather data from the Andau weather station (temperature (max, min), humidity, wind speed, radiation and precipitation on a daily basis) and presentation in an annual comparison. - Determination of reference evaporation according to FAO Allen et al. (1998). - Determination of soil properties from the digital soil map (eBOD) and estimation of retention properties (storage capacity) from eBOD (usable field capacity, nFK, of the BAW) and/or using pedotransfer functions. - Determination of plant evaporation and plant water requirements based on standard plant coefficients (Allen et al., 1998). - Determination of the irrigation water requirement for the selected crops for two reference areas, taking into account the plant water requirement and soil properties. Presentation and comparison of the results. - Determination of plant water requirements and irrigation water requirements based on AMA area data. Presentation and comparison of the results.