crop database: sparse vegetation (BSVG)

[Christina Hovmann]

Hey, we're working on a hydrologic model for a watershed located in northern Peru.
In many studies the crop class BSVG is used for sparse vegetation, but in the SWAT crop database there's just the parametrization for bare soil (BARR). Can somebody tell us how to get information about the parametrization of the class BSVG?
It would be great if somebody could help us!

[Confidence]

Christina

I presume you are using ArcSWAT that is why BSVG is not included in crop database. MWSWAT has an expanded crop database that contains parameters for BSVG and other tropical vegetation types. Go to http://waterbase.org/download.html, download and install the appropriate version of MWSWAT. After that go to the installation directory and you will find the SWAT2012.mdb or SWAT2009.mdb depending on the version you installed. Copy this database into your SWAT/ArcSWAT project directory, overwriting the previous database.

All the best.

[Chris]

Christina,

SWAT actually reads the crop.dat (2009, or plant.dat for 2012) file , not the Access database.  So you will also need to either use the SWAT Editor to write the crop/plant.dat file in your TxtInOut folder, or copy it from the MWSWAT installation.  Like the MWSWAT version of SWAT2009/2012.mdb, crop/plant.dat is in the Databases subfolder.

I think the previous message may also have made a mistake in suggesting you copy MWSWAT2012.mdb (I'll just assume it is 2012 we are talking about) into your project directory.  I am not really conversant with ArcSWAT, but I think the .mdb file in your project folder is your project database, while SWAT2012.mdb is a reference (or "parameter") database, and so corresponds to C:/SWAT/SWATEditor/Databases/SWAT2012.mdb.  So to use the MWSWAT crop table with minimal risk to your exiting instalation and project I suggest:

1.  When you start the SWAT Editor, note what it is using as the "SWAT Parameter Geodatabase" (as you will want to change back), select the MWSWAT copy of SWAT2012.mdb as this database, and then Connect to Databases
2.  Use Edit SWAT input -> Re-write SWAT Input Files, select plant.dat, and Write Files.  This should write the extended plant.dat to your TxtInOut folder
3.  Since there may be version differences between the MWSWAT2012 and the SWAT Editor you are using, change the parameter database back to what it was, and connect to databases again, before making further uise of the SWAT Editor.

Or you could just use MWSWAT ...

Chris