Water requirement computation and introduce a garden cropping pattern adapted to Water Scarcity and aridity condition, In order to reduce the vulnerability of agricultural drought (Case Study: Pishkouh Watershed, Yazd Province)

Water, as a major limiting factor in production, plays an important role in determining the type of agricultural activities in Iran. The occurrence of droughts in recent decades have also threatened these activities. Today, one of the most effective responses and strategies for agricultural drought risk management is to identify vulnerable areas and determine the optimal pattern of low-water cultivation. Therefore, the aim of this study is spatial analysis of agricultural drought vulnerability and introduce a pattern of low-water cultivation and compatible with arid areas in Pishkuh watershed in Yazd province. In this research, first the dominant garden species in the study area were identified and after calculating their water requirements, a map of the agricultural drought vulnerability in the study area was prepared. The results showed that the southern to southwestern of study area, including the villages of Sanich, Darreh Shir, Darreh Sir, etc., have the highest vulnerability to drought compared to other areas. Therefore, it is recommended to be cultivated garden species with the least water requirement such as almond and Grapes with water needs of 753 and 798 mm during the growing period, respectively. Also Results showed that the central, eastern, and northwestern of study area, including Islamieh, Navab, Nasrabad villages and etc., have a moderate and relatively low vulnerability. In addition, it is recommended to plant the species with moderate-water needs such as pomegranate and apricot. Therefore, changing and modifying the cultivation pattern, such as reducing the planting areas with high water requirements, developing species with low water needs, and increasing water efficiency, is one of the most necessary activities for managing agricultural drought risk.