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oa Data-Driven Approach to Updating Crop Water Demand Rates in Ukraine
- Publisher: European Association of Geoscientists & Engineers
- Source: Conference Proceedings, 18th International Conference Monitoring of Geological Processes and Ecological Condition of the Environment, Apr 2025, Volume 2025, p.1 - 5
Abstract
This study examines approaches to determining and adjusting crop water demand rates for irrigation in Ukraine. An assessment of water demand with meteorological station data and regional level was conducted, considering climate change and the need for continuous updates using an automated system and geospatial technologies. Results indicate a significant increase in crop water demand, especially in southern Ukraine. Integrating evapotranspiration calculations based on various methodologies improves the accuracy of regional water consumption estimates.
Water consumption norms were determined for 2005–2024 using the Shtoyko biophysical method, incorporating meteorological data and long-term agro-meteorological observations. Spatial distribution maps of water demand were developed using Thiessen-Voronoi polygons, and an interactive database was created for real-time access. The study also refined sowing dates and crop development stages by region using the BBCH scale.
A software tool was developed in Python (Folium, Shapely, Django) for visualization and spatial analysis. Results show a 40% increase in crop water demand in the Steppe zone and 15% in the forest-steppe and Polissia zones compared to 1960–2000.