IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/eee/agiwat/v124y2013icp1-10.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Strategies to increase wheat production in the water scarce Karkheh River Basin, Iran

Author

Listed:
  • Muthuwatta, L.P.
  • Rientjes, T.H.M.
  • Bos, M.G.

Abstract

Two strategies are assessed to increase wheat production in the water-scarce Karkheh River Basin (KRB) in Iran to meet targets by the year 2025. The strategies proposed are (a) to increase yields in the current irrigated and rainfed wheat areas and (b) to increase the area under rainfed wheat through land conversion. Crop water consumption, based on satellite remote sensing and crop yield data, was used to estimate crop water productivity (CWP) in irrigated and rainfed wheat areas in five sub-basins. CWP for wheat ranges from 0.5–1.63kgm−3 in irrigated areas to 0.37–0.62kgm−3 in rainfed areas. Conditions indicating water-stress in wheat areas were assessed by relative evapotranspiration (ETa/ETp) and showed that water-stress only had a minimal effect for about 154,000ha of irrigated wheat (57%). Land suitability analysis showed that about 71,000ha of rangelands can be converted into rainfed wheat areas without harming the current water balance in the basin. Statistical analyses showed that more than 70% of the variation in irrigated and rainfed wheat yield at plot level can be explained by water, fertilizer and seed rates. This suggests that wheat production can be increased by improving inputs other than water. Results from this study indicate that it is possible to meet approximately 85% of the wheat production targets in the year 2025 when strategies are combined.

Suggested Citation

  • Muthuwatta, L.P. & Rientjes, T.H.M. & Bos, M.G., 2013. "Strategies to increase wheat production in the water scarce Karkheh River Basin, Iran," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 124(C), pages 1-10.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:124:y:2013:i:c:p:1-10
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2013.03.013
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377413000747
    Download Restriction: Full text for ScienceDirect subscribers only
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1016/j.agwat.2013.03.013?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    References listed on IDEAS

    as
    1. Bos, M. G. & Burton, M. A. & Molden, David J., 2005. "Irrigation and drainage performance assessment: practical guidelines," IWMI Books, Reports H037064, International Water Management Institute.
    2. Oweis, T. Y. & Hachum, A. Y., 2003. "Improving water productivity in the dry areas of West Asia and North Africa," IWMI Books, Reports H032642, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Molden, David, 2007. "Water for food, water for life: a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture: summary. In Russian," IWMI Books, Reports H041260, International Water Management Institute.
    4. Wichelns, Dennis, 2003. "Enhancing water policy discussions by including analysis of non-water inputs and farm-level constraints," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 62(2), pages 93-103, September.
    5. L. Muthuwatta & Mobin-ud-Din Ahmad & M. Bos & T. Rientjes, 2010. "Assessment of Water Availability and Consumption in the Karkheh River Basin, Iran—Using Remote Sensing and Geo-statistics," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(3), pages 459-484, February.
    6. Rahman, S. M. & Khalil, M. I. & Ahmed, M. F., 1995. "Yield-water relations and nitrogen utilization by wheat in salt-affected soils of Bangladesh," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 28(1), pages 49-56, August.
    7. Hussain, Intizar & Sakthivadivel, R & Amarasinghe, Upali, 2003. "Land and water productivity of wheat in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and Pakistan: a comparative analysis," IWMI Books, Reports H041504, International Water Management Institute.
    8. Molden, David & Oweis, Theib & Steduto, Pasquale & Bindraban, Prem & Hanjra, Munir A. & Kijne, Jacob, 2010. "Improving agricultural water productivity: Between optimism and caution," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 528-535, April.
    9. Molden, David & Oweis, T. Y. & Pasquale, S. & Kijne, Jacob W. & Hanjra, M. A. & Bindraban, P. S. & Bouman, Bas A. M. & Cook, S. & Erenstein, O. & Farahani, H. & Hachum, A. & Hoogeveen, J. & Mahoo, Hen, 2007. "Pathways for increasing agricultural water productivity," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    10. Hussain, Intizar & Sakthivadivel, Ramasamy & Amarasinghe, Upali A. & Mudasser, Muhammad & Molden, David J., 2003. "Land and water productivity of wheat in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and Pakistan: a comparative analysis," IWMI Research Reports 52972, International Water Management Institute.
    11. Kijne, Jacob W. & Barker, Randolph & Molden, David J. (ed.), 2003. "Water productivity in agriculture: limits and opportunities for improvement," IWMI Books, International Water Management Institute, number 138054.
    12. Molden, David, 2007. "Water for food, water for life: a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture," IWMI Books, Reports H040193, International Water Management Institute.
    13. Kijne, J. W. & Barker, R. & Molden. D., 2003. "Water productivity in agriculture: limits and opportunities for improvement," IWMI Books, Reports H032631, International Water Management Institute.
    14. Hussain, I. & Sakthivadivel, R. & Amarasinghe, U. & Mudasser, M. & Molden, D., 2003. "Land and water productivity of wheat in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and Pakistan: a comparative analysis," IWMI Research Reports H031469, International Water Management Institute.
    15. Upali A. Amarasinghe & R.P. S. Malik & Bharat R. Sharma, 2010. "Overcoming growing water scarcity: Exploring potential improvements in water productivity in India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34, pages 188-199, August.
    16. Molden, D. & Murray-Rust, H. & Sakthivadivel, R. & Makin, I., 2003. "A water-productivity framework for understanding and action," IWMI Books, Reports H032632, International Water Management Institute.
    17. Molden, David, 2007. "Water for food, water for life: a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture: summary," IWMI Books, Reports H039769, International Water Management Institute.
    18. Hussain, Intizar & Sakthivadivel, R. & Amarasinghe, Upali A., 2003. "Land and water productivity of wheat in the Western Indo-Gangetic Plains of India and Pakistan: a comparative analysis," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    Full references (including those not matched with items on IDEAS)

    Most related items

    These are the items that most often cite the same works as this one and are cited by the same works as this one.
    1. Giordano, Meredith & Turral, H. & Scheierling, S. M. & Treguer, D. O. & McCornick, Peter G, 2017. "Beyond “More Crop per Drop”: evolving thinking on agricultural water productivity," IWMI Research Reports 257962, International Water Management Institute.
    2. Cai, Xueliang & Sharma, Bharat R. & Matin, Mir Abdul & Sharma, Devesh & Gunasinghe, Sarath, 2010. "An assessment of crop water productivity in the Indus and Ganges River Basins: current status and scope for improvement," IWMI Research Reports 112970, International Water Management Institute.
    3. Zwart, Sander J. & Bastiaanssen, Wim G.M. & de Fraiture, Charlotte & Molden, David J., 2010. "WATPRO: A remote sensing based model for mapping water productivity of wheat," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(10), pages 1628-1636, October.
    4. Molden, David & Oweis, Theib & Steduto, Pasquale & Bindraban, Prem & Hanjra, Munir A. & Kijne, Jacob, 2010. "Improving agricultural water productivity: Between optimism and caution," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(4), pages 528-535, April.
    5. Bessembinder, J.J.E. & Leffelaar, P.A. & Dhindwal, A.S. & Ponsioen, T.C., 2005. "Which crop and which drop, and the scope for improvement of water productivity," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 73(2), pages 113-130, May.
    6. Amarasinghe, Upali A. & Sharma, Bharat R., 2009. "Water productivity of food grains in India: exploring potential improvements," IWMI Books, Reports H042635, International Water Management Institute.
    7. Amarasinghe, Upali A. & Sharma, Bharat R., 2009. "Water productivity of food grains in India: exploring potential improvements," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    8. Vyshpolsky, F. & Mukhamedjanov, K. & Bekbaev, U. & Ibatullin, S. & Yuldashev, T. & Noble, A.D. & Mirzabaev, A. & Aw-Hassan, A. & Qadir, M., 2010. "Optimizing the rate and timing of phosphogypsum application to magnesium-affected soils for crop yield and water productivity enhancement," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(9), pages 1277-1286, September.
    9. Lecina, S. & Neale, C.M.U. & Merkley, G.P. & Dos Santos, C.A.C., 2011. "Irrigation evaluation based on performance analysis and water accounting at the Bear River Irrigation Project (U.S.A.)," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 98(9), pages 1349-1363, July.
    10. Oweis, Theib & Hachum, Ahmed, 2009. "Optimizing supplemental irrigation: Tradeoffs between profitability and sustainability," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 96(3), pages 511-516, March.
    11. Upali A. Amarasinghe & R.P. S. Malik & Bharat R. Sharma, 2010. "Overcoming growing water scarcity: Exploring potential improvements in water productivity in India," Natural Resources Forum, Blackwell Publishing, vol. 34(3), pages 188-199, August.
    12. Mohammad Alauddin & Upali A. Amarasinghe & Bharat R. Sharma, 2014. "Four decades of rice water productivity in Bangladesh: A spatio-temporal analysis of district level panel data," Economic Analysis and Policy, Elsevier, vol. 44(1), pages 51-64.
    13. Kumar, M. Dinesh & Trivedi, K. & Singh, O. P., 2009. "Analyzing the impact of quality and reliability of irrigation water on crop water productivity using an irrigation quality index," IWMI Books, Reports H042636, International Water Management Institute.
    14. Haileslassie, Amare & Peden, Don & Gebreselassie, Solomon & Amede, Tilahun & Descheemaeker, Katrien, 2009. "Livestock water productivity in mixed crop-livestock farming systems of the Blue Nile basin: Assessing variability and prospects for improvement," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 102(1-3), pages 33-40, October.
    15. Mohammed Mainuddin & Mac Kirby, 2009. "Agricultural productivity in the lower Mekong Basin: trends and future prospects for food security," Food Security: The Science, Sociology and Economics of Food Production and Access to Food, Springer;The International Society for Plant Pathology, vol. 1(1), pages 71-82, February.
    16. Sharma, Bharat & Molden, D. & Cook, Simon, 2015. "Water use efficiency in agriculture: measurement, current situation and trends," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    17. Sharma, Bharat & Molden, D. & Cook, Simon, 2015. "Water use efficiency in agriculture: measurement, current situation and trends," IWMI Books, Reports H046807, International Water Management Institute.
    18. Kumar, M. Dinesh & Trivedi, K. & Singh, O.P., 2009. "Analyzing the impact of quality and reliability of irrigation water on crop water productivity using an irrigation quality index," Book Chapters,, International Water Management Institute.
    19. Aliasghar Montazar & E. Zadbagher, 2010. "An Analytical Hierarchy Model for Assessing Global Water Productivity of Irrigation Networks in Iran," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 24(11), pages 2817-2832, September.
    20. Cai, X.L. & Sharma, B.R., 2010. "Integrating remote sensing, census and weather data for an assessment of rice yield, water consumption and water productivity in the Indo-Gangetic river basin," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 97(2), pages 309-316, February.

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:124:y:2013:i:c:p:1-10. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    If CitEc recognized a bibliographic reference but did not link an item in RePEc to it, you can help with this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Catherine Liu (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.elsevier.com/locate/agwat .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.