An improved method for calculating the regional crop water footprint based on a hydrological process analysis
<p>Fresh water is consumed during agricultural production. With the shortage of water resources, assessing the water use efficiency is crucial to effectively manage agricultural water resources. The water footprint is an improved index for water use evaluation, and it can reflect the quanti...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Copernicus Publications
2018-10-01
|
| Series: | Hydrology and Earth System Sciences |
| Online Access: | https://www.hydrol-earth-syst-sci.net/22/5111/2018/hess-22-5111-2018.pdf |
| Summary: | <p>Fresh water is consumed during agricultural production. With the shortage of
water resources, assessing the water use efficiency is crucial to effectively
manage agricultural water resources. The water footprint is an improved index
for water use evaluation, and it can reflect the quantity and types of water
usage during crop growth. This study aims to establish a method for
calculating the regional-scale water footprint of crop production based on
hydrological processes, and the water footprint is quantified in terms of
blue and green water. This method analyses the water-use process during the
growth of crops, which includes irrigation, precipitation, groundwater,
evapotranspiration, and drainage, and it ensures a more credible evaluation
of water use. As illustrated by the case of the Hetao irrigation
district (HID), China, the water footprint of wheat, corn and sunflowers were
calculated using this method. The results show that canal water loss and
evapotranspiration were responsible for most of the water consumption and
accounted for 47.9 % and 41.8 % of the total consumption, respectively.
The total water footprint of wheat, corn and sunflowers were 1380–2888, 942–1774 and
2095–4855 m<sup>3</sup> t<sup>−1</sup>, respectively, and the blue footprint accounts
for more than 86 %. The spatial distribution pattern of the green, blue and
total water footprints for the three crops demonstrated that higher values
occurred in the eastern part of the HID, which had more precipitation and was
further away from the irrigation gate. This study offers a vital reference
for improving the method used to calculate the crop water footprint.</p> |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1027-5606 1607-7938 |