New software predicts crop irrigation needs with precision using weather data.
A new method was developed to estimate how much water crops need for irrigation in Utah using a special weather dataset. The researchers used this data to calculate how much water different crops, wetlands, and open water areas need. They found that their estimates matched well with data from weather stations and other calculations. They also created software called GridET that can help manage and analyze this information. This method can be useful for water management in areas without local weather stations.