*2.2. Model Description*

AquaCrop is a crop water productivity model that simulates the response of crop yield to water supply and is particularly useful where water limits crop production. The model runs in daily time-steps which provides the basis for investigating the appropriateness of irrigation schedules

to meet crop-specific demands in practical scheme operation. Consequently, the AquaCrop-based schedules have a high potential to increase crop water productivity [22]. The AquaCrop model can also simulate the effect of climate variability (including variations in temperature, atmospheric carbon dioxide and available water/rainfall) on crop production [22]. Additional useful features of the model are the ability to separate soil evaporation from crop transpiration and to quantify the capillary rise from shallow groundwater.
