Water Management in Wheat Farming in Romania: Simulating the Irrigation Requirements with the CROPWAT Model

The development of water demand analysis methodologies to maintain agricultural crops at an optimal production level, in relation to current climate changes, is a necessity for many geographical areas. The methodology used uses CROPWAT 8.0 software, in the desire to highlight for an important agricultural region in Romania the need to optimize the water requirement for winter wheat crops. The methodology used was able to highlight this fact, as major changes are needed in future technological processes in the current context of climate change. Based on the modeling of evapotranspiration, effective precipitation, and irrigation requirements, it was obtained that the winter wheat needs four additional irrigations per year (in April, May, and July). The irrigations at critical depletion led to a 100% efficiency of reducing the harvest deficit, during the middle and late vegetation stages. The irrigation required by winter wheat depends on precipitation efficiency, and it is very important for improving crop yield up to 100%. The obtained results provide a methodological framework, but also concrete information for decision-makers in the field of agriculture.