Optimizing Irrigation Strategies for Wheat in Sindh: Balancing Yield, Water Use Efficiency, and Water Footprint

Faisal Mehmood; Ghulam Murtaza Jafferi; Shoukat Ali Soomro; Shakeel Ahmed Soomro; Abdul Sattar Mashori; Abdul Saboor Soomro; Ghulam Hussain Awan

doi:10.3333/4725xt21

Authors

Faisal Mehmood 1Department of Land and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Author
Ghulam Murtaza Jafferi 1Department of Land and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Author
Shoukat Ali Soomro 1Department of Land and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Author
Shakeel Ahmed Soomro Department of Farm Structures and Postharvest Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Author
Abdul Sattar Mashori Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Translator
Abdul Saboor Soomro Department of Land and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Author
Ghulam Hussain Awan Department of Land and Water Management, Faculty of Agricultural Engineering and Technology, Sindh Agriculture University, Tandojam 70060, Pakistan Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.3333/4725xt21

Keywords:

Furrow Irrigation Methods, Irrigation Levels, Water Use Efficiency, Water Footprint, Wheat Yield

Abstract

Water scarcity jeopardizes food production in arid and semi-arid regions, making efficient irrigation crucial to enhance water use efficiency (WUE) and sustain crop yields. Thus, a study was conducted to measure the impact of three furrow irrigation methods (FIM) [conventional furrow irrigation (CFI), alternate furrow irrigation (AFI), and fixed furrow irrigation (FFI)] combined with three different irrigation levels (IL) (100%; 80%, and 60% crop water requirement) on crop growth, yield attributes, grain yield, biomass, WUE, and blue water footprint of wheat crop during the Rabi season 2022-2023 in Tandojam, Hyderabad. Treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design (RCBD) with three replications. Results illustrated that FIMs and ILs had a substantial (P < 0.05) effect on the crop growth, yield attributes, grain yield, and biomass, while their interaction had no substantial effect (P > 0.05). Compared with AFI and FFI, CFI had substantially higher grain yield (11.1-15.3%) and biomass (5.0-12.3%), lower WUE (1.23-31.86%), and higher blue water footprint (41.7-46.7%). Whereas AFI compared with CFI saved water by 39.13%, improved WUE by 31.86%, and lowered blue water footprint by 29.86%, with a moderate yield decrease (13.22%) at 80% crop water requirement. Therefore, AFI combined with an 80% crop water requirement is recommended as an efficient irrigation strategy for wheat in water-scarce areas.