Integrating GIS and numeric weather prediction model with wheat simulation model for optimal wheat production locations in arid regions

The upgrade rate of self-sufficiency in wheat depends largely on the amount of water and land to achieve the quantity and proportion of self-sufficiency target. The climatic and soil conditions, however, are dynamic conditions. Hence, these conditions seriously limit the capability of providing the optimum tempo-spatial required data to assist in improving the wheat production unless specialized sensors are utilized along with excessive work. That implies the crucial need of using computer simulation models. The general objective is of this study was to delineate the best location for wheat production in arid regions such as Oman through linking Wheat Simulation Model (WSM) with Numeric Weather Prediction Model (NWPM) in Geographical Information Systems (GIS). The GIS application software used in this study was the ESRI ArcGIS. Four field trials, over two seasons, have validated positively the linkage of the developed WSM with GIS. The developed model can be promoted as a tool of improving wheat cultivation through making the most of available water in wheat production and increasing the growing acreage of wheat in arid regions like Oman.