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Water Management and Water-Saving Irrigation in Agricultural Areas

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Water, Agriculture and Aquaculture".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 October 2026 | Viewed by 347

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
School of Water Conservancy & Civil Engineering, Noretheast Agricultural University, Harbin, China
Interests: precision agriculture; drought management; smart agricultural infrastructure; agricultural water management; remote sensing

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Water is the cornerstone of global food security, yet its scarcity poses one of the most critical challenges to sustainable agriculture in the 21st century. With growing populations, climate change-induced uncertainties, and increasing competition for freshwater resources, optimizing water use in agricultural systems has never been more urgent. This Special Issue seeks to address these pressing challenges by exploring innovative strategies, advanced technologies, and integrated management approaches that enhance water productivity and promote resilience in agricultural areas. We invite the submission of high-quality original research articles, reviews, and case studies that contribute to the advancement of knowledge in sustainable agricultural water management. The scope of this Special Issue encompasses a wide range of topics, including, but not limited to, the development and application of smart irrigation systems (e.g., IoT-based sensors, drone monitoring), the efficacy of deficit irrigation strategies, and the utilization of non-conventional water resources. We are particularly interested in research that evaluates the socio-economic impacts of water-saving practices, explores the water–energy–food nexus, and develops modeling tools for optimizing irrigation scheduling and basin-scale water allocation. Studies that demonstrate successful practical applications and policy frameworks for encouraging water conservation at the farm and regional levels are also highly welcome. By bringing together diverse research from across the globe, this Special Issue aims to serve as a comprehensive platform for scientists, engineers, policymakers, and agricultural stakeholders to share cutting-edge findings and practical solutions. Our ultimate goal is to foster a deeper understanding of how to achieve more crops per drop, ensuring the long-term sustainability and productivity of agricultural systems worldwide.

Prof. Dr. Muhammad Abrar Faiz
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • sustainable water management
  • water-saving irrigation
  • precision agriculture
  • remote sensing and IoT
  • climate change adaptation
  • water–energy–food nexus

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

25 pages, 4948 KB  
Article
Enhancing Efficiency of Water–Energy–Food Nexus Through Irrigation and Phosphorus Management in Maize Production: A Case Study of Semi-Arid Region
by Junaid Nawaz Chauhdary, Hong Li, Zawar Hussain, Muhammad Zaman, Muhammad Akhlaq and Bahromjon Bahodirovich Xalilov
Water 2026, 18(11), 1285; https://doi.org/10.3390/w18111285 - 26 May 2026
Abstract
The declining productivity, fertilizer inefficiencies, and rising energy cum production costs are the key issues in crop production, especially in semi-arid regions with alkaline soils. Integration of crop management strategies needs to be adopted to address these issues within the water–energy–food nexus (WEFN). [...] Read more.
The declining productivity, fertilizer inefficiencies, and rising energy cum production costs are the key issues in crop production, especially in semi-arid regions with alkaline soils. Integration of crop management strategies needs to be adopted to address these issues within the water–energy–food nexus (WEFN). For this purpose, a case study was conducted in semi-arid region of central Punjab, Pakistan, to evaluate the interactive effects of irrigation water source [canal water (CW) and tubewell water (TW)], phosphorus fertilizer source [diammonium phosphate (DAP) vs. phosphoric acid_25% (PA)], and fertilizer application levels [100% and 80% of recommended dose of fertilizer (RDF)] on maize productivity, energy efficiency and economic performance. The experiment comprises eight treatments under raised bed planting (RBP) and one control treatment under ridge-furrow sowing (RFS). Each treatment had three replicates, and the experiment was laid out under a randomized complete block design (RCBD). Maize growth, yield, water productivity, energy efficiency, and economic performance were analyzed using field measurements, energy equivalents, and partial budget analysis. The T1 (RBP+CW+PA+100%RDF) produced the highest maize yield, and it varied from 6.36 to 7.90 t ha−1 under other treatments. CW significantly showed better water productivity (1.14–1.37 kg m−3) than that under TW (1.13–1.31 kg m−3); however, total energy input was higher under TW-based treatments (29,269–41,033 MJ t ha−1) than that under CW-based treatments (24,129–29,681 MJ ha−1). This results in lower energy productivity under TW-based treatments compared with CW-based treatments (0.17–0.23 kg MJ−1 vs. 0.25–0.31 kg MJ−1, respectively). Moreover, T2 (RBP+CW+PA+80%RDF) produced the highest energy use efficiency (0.59). Economic analysis revealed that production costs were nearly 15–17% higher under TW-based treatments, mainly due to the cost associated with groundwater pumping, and it reduced net profit to USD 1134–1385 ha−1. Better net profits were achieved by CW-based treatments (USD 1244–1593 ha−1), while those produced by BCR ranged from 3.11 to 3.69, with the highest value under T2 (RBP+CW+PA+80%RDF). Overall, irrigation water source emerged as the dominant driver of WEFN performance, while phosphoric acid significantly improved phosphorus availability, energy productivity, and economic returns, particularly under reduced fertilizer input. This study evidenced better maize productivity, less energy consumption, and improved farm profitability in semi-arid irrigated systems through the integration of canal water irrigation with optimized phosphorus management. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Water Management and Water-Saving Irrigation in Agricultural Areas)
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