Effect of Climate Variability on Water Footprint of Some Grain Crops under Different Agro-Climatic Regions of Egypt

Abstract

The water footprint (WF), based on irrigation water quality, is important as a decision-making tool for crop selection based on the comparative advantage of water consumption and yield to maximize agricultural water productivity and sustainably improve water use efficiency. This paper presents a generic link between climate variability and water footprint. To support this link, a case study is presented for wheat and maize in different agro-climate zones in Egypt. In this study, the three agro-ecological zones, Nile Delta, Middle Egypt, and Upper Egypt, were selected to represent three different microclimates. The climate data were analyzed to estimate reference evapotranspiration (ETo) and calculate crop water use (CWU) for wheat and maize from 2015 through 2019. Cultivated area and yield data were analyzed during the study period. Water footprint (WF) was calculated for old land (clay soils) and new lands (sandy soils) in three climate regions based on blue and grey water. Green water was excluded due to negligible rainfall depths in Egypt. The results showed that the mean values of WF for maize were 1067, 1395, 1655 m3/ton in old land and 1395, 1634, 2232 m3/ton in new land under the three climate regions, respectively, while it was 923, 982, 1117 m3/ton in old land and 1180, 1258, 1452 m3/ton for wheat in new land for the three regions, respectively. The results show that the crop water use fluctuated over regions due to climate variability where the CWU values were 6211, 7335, 8007 m3/ha for maize and 4348, 4825, 5774 m3/ha for wheat in the three regions, respectively. The results show an 11% and 33% increase in maize and an 18% and 29% increase in wheat CWU in Middle and Upper Egypt regions comparing to what was observed in Nile Delta due to an increase in solar radiation, temperature, and wind speed. The Egypt mean value of wheat water footprint was 1152 m3/ton and mean value of maize water footprint was 1563 m3/ton. The data clearly show the effect of microclimate variability on WF and irrigation requirements between regions. The methodology and results from this study provide a pathway to help the policy makers to mitigate climate change impacts on crop yield and to enhance water resources management in major crop production regions by redistribution of the cropping patterns based on the comparative advantages of each crop within each region. The crop choices relative to the soil water retention characteristics could also contribute to the moderation of microclimate, which affects ETo and ETc and the water footprint.

Potential Improvements in Crop Production in Egypt and Implications for Future Water and Land Demand

“…Additionally, (Kheir et al, 2021c) calculated CWP for wheat of about 1.5 kg/m 3 in Sharkia for the period 1991-2020. Swelam et al (2022) estimated CWP of 1.08 kg/m 3 for wheat in the Delta's old lands from 2015 to 2019. These comparisons reaffirm the validity and accuracy of WaPOR's estimates of yield and CWP for winter crops in Zankalon.…”

“…(2011) estimated a CWP of 1.04 kg/m 3 for rice during 2008-2009and Swelam et al (2022 calculated CWP for maize of 0.95 kg/m 3 during the period 2015-2019. The underestimation of yield values is attributed to the concurrent underestimation of Net Primary Productivity (NPP) during the summer season (Fig.…”

Effect of calcium silicate nanoparticles applications on salt affected soils environmental conditions

“…Stress is significantly exacerbated by high salt content in the soil and water, especially in arid regions (Awad et al, 2022;Abdrabou et al, 2022). Egypt, experiencing the Mediterranean environment with frequent temperature changes, has been separated into several agro-climatic zones based on the average temperature values (Swelam et al, 2022;Jalhoum et al, 2022) scarcity is predicted to negatively impact the use of 25% of the world's land for agriculture (Delfine et al, 2005;El-Sherpiny et al, 2023). Abiotic stressors, such as drought and salinity, negatively influence plant fitness and performance, amplified by climatic change and environmental extremes (Singh et al, 2018).…”

“…Although silicon is the second most common element in the earth's crust, it is not thought to be a necessary component for plants, particularly when they face environmental and abiotic challenges such as drought and salinity (Debona et al, 2017;Abd-Elzaher et al, 2022). The dill plant (Anethum graveolens L.), with a rich history of usage in traditional medicine, is frequently grown in dry and semi-arid areas with salt problems (Sukhdev et al, 2006). It is a significant member of the Apeaceae family and is native to the Mediterranean and West Asia.…”

Effect of Superabsorbent Polymer Application on Soil Hydraulic Properties, Growth, Yield, and Water Use Efficiency of ‘Early Sweet’ Grapevine (Vitis vinefera) under Different Irrigation Levels

“…Currently, 70% of the available freshwater on Earth is being used by agriculture, yet roughly 35% of this is lost due to leaky irrigation systems and ineffective irrigation water management (Chartzoulakis & Bertaki, 2015). In Egypt, agriculture consumes roughly 80% of available water resources (Swelam et al, 2022) and since the average annual rainfall is decreasing, most agricultural production is mostly dependent on irrigation and limited water resources. Accordingly, the constraints imposed by climate change require adaptive and effective irrigation management and associated modern technologies to minimize its impacts.…”