Determining the Appropriate Amount of Irrigation Water for Wheat, Barley, Potato and Sugar Beet in Chaharmahal-and-Bakhtiari Province Using AquaCrop and the Concept of Virtual Water

The concept of virtual water as the amount of water consumed to produce each kilogram of agricultural products is one of the ways to reduce the pressure on water resources. According to this concept, it is necessary to produce agricultural products in balance with the amount of water consumption and with the policy of reducing water consumption. Therefore, in the present study, different irrigation scenarios in the production of four strategic crops (wheat, barley, potato and sugar beet) in Chaharmahal-and-Bakhtiari province based on the concept of virtual water were investigated. For this purpose, first, using the water productivity outlook of this province, the amount of virtual water in the current and future conditions (2025 and 2030) was determined. Then, the calibrated AquaCrop was used to simulate the yield of plants under study based on different amounts of irrigation water. The results showed that the amount of irrigation water suitable for wheat, barley, potato, and sugar beet production was 3420, 1530, 4300 and 5020 cubic meters per hectare, respectively. These values decreased by 39, 70, 57 and 90%, respectively, compared to the current irrigation conditions in this province. The amount of virtual water consumed in the proposed amounts of irrigation water is 0.19, 0.03, 0.6 and 0.12 million cubic meters, respectively. The amounts of virtual water for the production of these crops were decreased by 28, 61, 33 and 12%, respectively. By selecting these values, about 7, 12, 5 and 10 percent of the pressure applied to the water resources of this province will be reduced, respectively. Therefore, it is suggested that the aforementioned amount for irrigation water be used for the cultivation of wheat, barley, potatoes and sugar beet in the farms of this province.