Validation of the AquaCrop model for irrigated rice production under varied water regimes in Bangladesh

•We calibrated and validated the Aquacrop model to simulate irrigated rice growth.•We conducted a 2-year experiment with three irrigation regimes in central Bangladesh.•Water balance, canopy development, biomass and yield production were simulated well.•Crop development patterns observed under different irrigation regimes were successfully modeled.•We conclude that Aquacrop is a suitable model for scenario studies on rice growth in Bangladesh. Crop growth simulation models of varying complexity have been developed to predict the effects of soil, water, nutrients and climate on biomass and grain yields and water use efficiency of different crops. In this study, the AquaCrop model was calibrated and validated for rice crop growth modeling under different irrigation water regimes at the Bangladesh Rice Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh during the 2008–09 and 2009–10 winter (dry) seasons. Three irrigation water regimes were examined: irrigation with continuous standing water (CSW), and irrigation at 3 or 5 days after water disappearance (3 or 5 DAWD) from the field as potential water saving adaptations. Model performance was evaluated in terms of prediction error (Pe), coefficient of determination (R2), the normalized root mean squared error (NRSME), the Nash–Sutcliffe model efficiency coefficient (EF) and Willmott’s index of agreement (d). The model calibration yielded 0.94