Understanding how much water crops use is vital for managing water resources, especially in regions facing water scarcity. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) provides a free, high-resolution satellite-based dataset called On-Demand Evapotranspiration (ET), which shows the amount of water used by natural and agricultural vegetation over time. This data is available at a high resolution (30 meters) and can be used to monitor water use in agriculture, support water accounting, and guide planning decisions.

However, while the raw ET data is readily available, preparing it for analysis after download can be time-consuming and technically complex. To help solve this problem, we developed the SSEBopET+, a free plugin for the QGIS software. This tool automates the key steps required to process USGS ET data, such as automatic downloading, cleaning, filling gaps, and summarising it over time. It also speeds up these steps by using multi-core processing and smart memory management, so even large datasets can be handled efficiently.

This tool enables local agencies, researchers, and decision-makers to access valuable information on water use in agriculture without requiring advanced technical skills or expensive computing resources.