Crops Intensification to Face Climate Induced Water Scarcity in Nile Delta Region

Abstract

Irrigation water management has become very important task to be implemented in Egypt due to the prevailing conditions of water scarcity. Thus, technologies are required to increase water and land productivity. The objective of this chapter was to suggest management package to overcome water scarcity conditions. It included precise land leveling and cultivation on raised beds to save 25 % of the applied water to surface irrigation, as well as changing crops sequence from two crops per year to three crops per year and implementing different intercropping systems. We suggested to cultivate short season clover, soybean or bean between winter and summer crops and to implement intercropping in one season and in two seasons. Similar procedure was done under climate change effect in 2030 to examine whether the suggested management can reduce climate change risk on food production. The results indicated that cultivating short season clover can be implemented because its water requirements will be available as a result implemented precise land leveling and cultivation on raised beds. The results also indicated that either intercropping in one season or two seasons can be implemented to increase land and water productivity. In addition, short season clover can be also cultivated between summer and winter seasons in some of these intercropping systems. Under climate change in 2030, water requirements for the cultivated crops will increase, which could lead to reduction in the cultivated area of these crops by different percentages. Implementing the suggested production package can reduce the required water to irrigate these crops. Furthermore, intercropping can maximize land and water productivity under climate change. Thus, our proposed management of crops intensification can be the solution for food gaps problems under current water scarcity situation in Egypt and under the anticipated climate change effects.