PISA-MON is a collaborative research project in active development at UC Davis and ARO-Volcani.
It provides estimates based on satellite remote sensing and scientific models.
Results are not certified irrigation recommendations and may differ
from conditions in your specific field.
Supported climates: Monsoon, tropical, arid, and transitional regions
with warm-season rainfall and dry-season irrigation demand.
Mediterranean and temperate climates are handled by
PISA-CA.
Supported species: Any tropical/subtropical crop. Use "Other" to set
canopy timing manually. Evergreen crops can use year-round canopy (Jan–Dec).
Calibrated for orchards 4+ years old.
Young orchards (1–3 years) have sparse canopy and shallow roots —
this tool may overestimate their water needs.
By using this tool you accept full responsibility for any irrigation decisions made.
For questions, or to participate in the research project, contact:
Click your orchard on the map (or use "Navigate to Region" to jump to your area first). Hemisphere, rainfall source, and units are automatically detected from the location.
Select your species — use "Other" and set bloom and senescence months manually. For evergreen crops, set bloom=Jan, senescence=Dec for year-round canopy.
Click "Get Water Budget." The tool downloads satellite data — rainfall, evaporation demand, canopy size (NDVI), soil water-holding capacity, and climate zone.
Set your irrigation season using the sliders. The tool calculates how much water your trees need each month.
Review Pre-Season Recharge. The tool recommends how much to apply at the end of the wet season to fill the soil. Adjust if you applied more or less.
Optional: Set rooting depth. Override the automatic soil depth if you know your orchard's root zone (e.g. 80 cm for shallow soils). Leave at "Auto" to use satellite-based estimation.
Optional: Pre-harvest dry-down. Enable this to stop irrigation before harvest. Set the start date and duration — the saved water is redistributed to the rest of the season.
Read the chart. The chart shows the full water year: blue-shaded monsoon months (rain recharge) and yellow-shaded dry season (irrigation). Green bars = rain, blue bars = irrigation, gold line = crop water demand (ETc), green line = soil water reserve.
Adjust sliders to explore what-if scenarios — the chart updates instantly.
Sprinkler Operating Schedule
After getting your water budget, configure your Sprinkler Settings in the left panel:
Output rate — how much water your sprinklers deliver per hour (e.g. 0.04 in/hr)
Block duration — minimum run time per irrigation set (e.g. 6 hours)
The tool converts monthly water amounts into a weekly sprinkler schedule showing exactly how many hours to run each week.
References:
Sperling O, Tricerri N, Orozco J, Ellis Z, Gardi I, Secchi F, Zwieniecki MA (2025) Integration of seasonal rainfall and irrigation into a water management plan for almond orchards. Agric. Water Manag. 319:109743
Sinclair TR, Holbrook NM, Zwieniecki MA (2005) Daily transpiration rates of woody species on drying soil. Tree Physiology 25:1469–1472