J. Plant Environ. 05 (02) 2023. 123-134 DOI: 10.33687/jpe.005.02.4983 123 Available Online at EScience Press Journal of Plant and Environment ISSN: 2710-1665 (Online), 2710-1657 (Print) https://esciencepress.net/journals/JPE Unveiling the Thirst: Revealing the Water Requirements of Gujrat's Thriving Crops using CROPWAT 8.0 Muhammad Bilal Naeem 1 , Summera Jahan 1,2 * 1 Department of Botany, Hafiz Hayat Campus, University of Gujrat, Gujrat, Pakistan. 2 Institute of Botany, University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan. A R T I C L E I N F O A B S T R A C T Article History Received: October 11, 2023 Revised: November 28, 2023 Accepted: December 09, 2023 Water plays an essential role in agriculture, serving as a primary reserve that directly impacts crop production and food security. Water conservation is critical for sustainable agriculture and the well-being of communities and ecosystems, chiefly due to the increasing global demand and rising water dearth concerns. The water needs of crops and irrigation scheduling in the district Gujrat, Pakistan, are currently missing enough information. Therefore, this study was conducted to determine the crop water requirements and establish irrigation schedules for the major crops in district Gujrat, Pakistan. The crop water requirement (CWR) and irrigation schedules were determined by CROPWAT 8.0 by using the input climate data obtained from the POWER-NASA website from 1991-2020. Other than climatic data, crops (wheat, rice, sugarcane, and maize) and soil information were added from CROPWAT 8.0 pre- existing data. The crop planting dates were estimated by Ayub Agriculture Research Institute (AARI). The gross and net crop water requirements are 624.3 mm and 491.3 mm for wheat, 1805.2 mm and 1768.3 mm for rice, 4135.1 mm and 3537.2 mm for sugarcane, and 1203.5 mm and 1051.4 mm for maize. The deployment of CROPWAT 8.0 proves to be valuable in precisely assessing crop water requirements and computing irrigation scheduling. The study's outcomes show the potential to boost food production and aid in well-organized water reserve management. Keywords Crop water requirement Irrigation schedule Penman-Monteith equation CROPWAT 8.0 Wheat Rice Sugarcane Maize Corresponding Author: Summera Jahan Email: aremmus_jahan@yahoo.com © The Author(s) 2023. INTRODUCTION All living organisms rely on soil, water, and plants as essential natural resources for their provision and well- being. Among these resources, water stands as an elementary key that considerably influences and ensures the production of crops because without an adequate and reliable water supply, achieving guaranteed crop production becomes a frightening challenge (Molden et al., 2007). Water serves as the lifeblood of agriculture, nurturing plants and enabling them to grow, thereby playing a crucial role in sustaining food security and the well-being of ecosystems and communities (Young et al., 2021). The prudent management and maintenance of these vital resources are crucial to protect a sustainable and thriving future for both humanity and the environment (Cosgrove and Loucks, 2015). Given the current curve of water usage and escalating global demand, it appears increasingly suspicious that the world water cycle will be able to effectively cope with the growing pressures (Tzanakakis et al., 2020). Gujrat is a district located in the northeastern part of Punjab province in Pakistan. It is situated between the Jhelum and Chenab rivers, at a latitude of approximately 32.6 °N and a longitude of around 74.1 °E. It has a subtropical climate characterized by hot and humid