The need for reliable tools to aid in field irrigation and drainage scheduling has increased due to yield losses caused by drought. To address this issue, WATERAGRI partners University of Neuchâtel and Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH are creating 3D models using integrated surface-subsurface hydrological models such as HydroGeoSphere and the Terrestrial System Modeling Platform.
These models have been developing for selected pilot sites of the WATERAGRI project and will simulate water flow and interactions at the surface, in the soil, and in the saturated zone. For some pilot sites, WATERAGRI partners will provide management options along with their predictions. This will ideally assist farmers in planning their field irrigation and drainage several days in advance and in estimating potential crop development.