Validation and Evaluation of CropSyst Crop Growth Model for Determining Suitable Cropping Pattern Under Water Deficit: A Case Study in Shahid Chamran's Drainage and Irrigation Network

Deficit irrigation is one of the strategies used to obtain products with maximum profits in recent years. In this context, research on determining appropriate levels of deficit irrigation is essential. Since determining the different levels of performance through field experiments is difficult, the use of simulation models is a strategy through which we can examine the water balance data, simulate the growth process, and to study different managerial scenarios. The purpose of this study was validation and evaluation of CropSyst, a plant growth model, to determine suitable cropping patterns in deficit irrigation conditions. Applying three deficit irrigation scenarios in model, with values of 10%, 20% and 30% on six crops, fava bean, bean, wheat, potato, sunflower and rice, we concluded that the applied deficit irrigation of 10% to bean, potato and beans, 20% to sunflower and 30% to wheat had been suitable, and it is better not to apply deficit irrigation in rice. Also, since in final selection, the rate of water productivity is one of the basic criteria in each crop mentioned above, determining net benefit based on drop index (NBPD) per cubic meter showed that the most NBPD is related to bean with 6853 Rials per cubic meters and the lowest amount is related to sunflower with a value equal to 2809 Rials per cubic meters.