Increase Water Efficiency Research Articles

SMART FARMING USING IOT, A SOLUTION FOR OPTIMALLY MONITORING FARMING CONDITIONS

Recently, agriculture has undergone a change thanks to the arrival of Internet of Things (IoT) technology. Smart farming uses Internet of Things (IoT) devices to remotely monitor and control farming activities in real time. This study investigates the application of IoT in agriculture to boost overall efficiency, cut down on resource waste, and increase output. IoT-enabled smart farming is transforming conventional agricultural methods by reducing crop loss, boosting productivity, and saving farmers money. The basic idea is to establish a network of sensors across the fields to collect real-time data on critical environmental elements such as temperature, humidity, soil moisture, light intensity, and even pest activity. The idea is to deploy technology that can monitor the crop and alert farmers through many channels. With the device's real-time data on soil moisture, temperature, and humidity from their farmland, farmers will be able to make more informed decisions. The device provides farmers with real-time data on temperature, humidity, and soil moisture from their farmland, enabling them to make decisions that would optimize crop production and conserve resources like water. The study looks at the particular kinds of sensors used in smart farming, emphasizing their uses and informative value. It also looks at how data collecting is used to automate important agricultural procedures, such as irrigation systems, which reduce waste and increase water efficiency. Keywords— Smart farming, Sensor network, Mobile application for farming, Data analytics, Internet of Things

An Affordable System Solution for Enhancing Tree Survival in Dry Environments

Water scarcity inhibits plant growth, especially in arid regions. Traditional irrigation methods often lack efficiency and sustainability. This study investigates AquaTrap, a biomimetic design, as a potential solution. The study highlights AquaTrap’s advantages by analyzing its design and previous research on bioinspired water harvesting. It highlights its ability to increase water efficiency and support sustainable plant growth in dry areas. Biomimicry inspires AquaTrap’s design, which mimics natural systems to capture and deliver water to plant roots. To collect condensation while repelling water, the stack uses superhydrophobic materials. Plant roots then receive this accumulated water for growth. Compared to traditional methods, AquaTrap offers many advantages. Its stand-alone design eliminates complex infrastructure and minimizes evaporation. Additionally, delivering water directly to the roots reduces waste and increases water efficiency. This technology holds promise for introducing new vegetation, restoring plant life, and promoting sustainable agriculture in arid regions. Further research is needed to explore the potential of AquaTrap in a variety of field conditions, optimize it for different plants and environments, and evaluate its economic feasibility for widespread use. AquaTrap also has significant potential for sustainable forestry, as it can significantly increase the survival and growth of trees in water-scarce environments. System solution opportunities and modular structure provide crucial support during the most critical adaptation period of afforestation. By reducing water consumption and increasing efficiency, it supports the establishment and maintenance of healthy forests, which are vital for ecosystem resilience and biodiversity.

Application of effluent reduction methods and treatment using advanced oxidation process at leather chemicals and tanning industries

The current study set out to assess and create long-term solutions for improving environmental performance concerning water use, wastewater production, and treatment at Syntan plant (glass-lined vessel unit) and application laboratory (small-scale leather retanning. Based on evaluations and analyses, best available techniques including water gauging, pressurized vessel washing, dedication of vessels to similar production, reuse techniques, developing commercial grade intermediate products from wash water, managing cooling water and developing reuse methods of reverse osmosis reject water were applied to reduce water consumption and effluent generation in process and non-process activities. Furthermore, the reduced effluent was subjected to treat using electrochemical processes, i.e., electrocoagulation and electro-Fenton, before it was drained to outside environment. As a result of the applications, 0%–100% change was measured in various process and non-process activities, whereas, 12.8%–100% reduction was measured in effluent. Soft cooling water consumption was reduced by 46.7%. The results of treated effluent parameters were compared and found the final removal efficiencies of total dissolved solids (51.4%), total suspended solids (99.2%), chemical oxygen demand (98.5%) and electric conductivity (67.7%). It is concluded that this study can be considered as a successful model to increased water efficiency in chemical industries, Furthermore, it could serve as a building block for the incorporation of cleaner and sustainable production approach into national agenda and to overcome stern issues of high-water and energy consumption and effluent management in different industries.

Water rights trading and corporate productivity: Evidence from a quasi‐natural experiment of China's pilot policy

AbstractThe economic consequences of water efficiency that results from water policies remains controversial. Studies on how water rights trading (WRT), which allocates water resources in and across industries, influences corporate efficiency can reveal the behavioral response of market participants to increase water efficiency. Considering the WRT pilot implemented in 2014 as a quasi‐natural experiment, we adopt the difference‐in‐difference‐in‐differences method to evaluate its impact on corporate total factor productivity (TFP). Our findings show that WRT significantly stimulates the TFP of firms with high water costs. This effect is achieved by promoting water‐related green innovation and optimizing resource allocation instead of alleviating corporate risks. Furthermore, the impact of WRT is more pronounced in areas with lower levels of water endowment and market development. The research findings have strikingly important policy implications regarding water management in China through WRT.

Are cities ready for climate change? Exploring the spatial discrepancies between urban vulnerability and adaptation readiness

Climate change is an increasingly severe global crisis, posing threats to ecosystems, economies, and human lives. To address these threats, different cities around the world have adopted various levels of adaptation strategies to cope with varying degrees of negative impact, such as increasing water efficiency and enhancing health response systems. Despite some progress, there is a spatial discrepancy among cities in terms of their vulnerability to climate change and their adaptation readiness. Uncovering the reasons behind this spatial discrepancy could help us formulate better policies to address climate issues. To this end, we conduct an empirical analysis using city response data from 2020, sourced from the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP), focusing on a dataset that encompasses 421 cities worldwide. Specifically, we first formulate a “vulnerability index” to measure the propensity of cities to suffer negative effects in the event of climate hazards and a “readiness index” to represent their adaptation readiness level. Then we introduce the “discrepancy score” to quantify discrepancies across cities and discover the spatial distribution of the discrepancies through spatial visualization. Further, we employ a clustering analysis method named k-means to group different cities based on vulnerability index and readiness index. Finally, we perform Geographically Weighted Regression (GWR) to quantitatively analyze the spatial correlation between the economy and the discrepancy score of different cities. Our research mainly reveals several findings: (1) European cities tend to exhibit high levels of adaptation readiness with low degrees of vulnerability. In contrast, African cities consistently display heightened degrees of vulnerability combined with limited adaptation readiness. (2) Economic factors play a significant role in the spatial discrepancies between levels of adaptation readiness and degrees of vulnerability of cities; (3) The impact of the economy on the discrepancy scores exhibits significant spatial heterogeneity, with its influence being greater in European and African regions compared to other areas. Our study contributes both theoretically and practically to the comprehension of global climate change. It provides evidence-based support for the development of more effective climate change mitigation strategies and lays the foundation for fostering worldwide collaboration and initiatives.

Study on Carbon Emissions from an Urban Water System Based on a Life Cycle Assessment: A Case Study of a Typical Multi-Water County in China’s River Network Plain

Revealing the inherent relationship between urban water systems and carbon emissions has important theoretical and practical significance for promoting “water conservation and carbon reduction” in cities. This study utilizes the 2021 social water cycle statistical data of Yiwu City to quantify the carbon emissions of urban water systems. It analyzes the “water–carbon” related characteristics and carbon emission intensities under different water sources and stages and explores the carbon reduction potential of urban water systems under different scenarios. The results show that the operational phase is the main contributor to the carbon emissions of the urban water system in the research area, accounting for approximately 86% of the total carbon emissions. Over the entire process, the carbon emissions from the water supply and drainage stages are the largest, accounting for 39% and 31% of the total carbon emissions, respectively. In terms of carbon emission intensity, the carbon footprint of the water cycling process using reclaimed water as the water source is higher than that of high-quality water and conventional water sources. This is primarily due to the significantly higher carbon emission intensity in the reclaimed water phase compared with the other phases. In terms of influencing factors, the differences in the “water–carbon” correlation characteristics of different links in the water system in the research area are mainly affected by changes in urban water consumption, water treatment methods and processes, and other related factors. For the coordinated development of “water conservation and carbon reduction” in urban areas, future efforts should focus on improving the reuse rate of reclaimed water in urban life and industry, reducing the leakage rate of water distribution networks, and enhancing water treatment processes. These measures aim to increase water efficiency in urban water systems and reduce carbon emissions.

A Study on Irrigation Water Productivity under Different Irrigation Environments of Tamil Nadu, India

The world is attempting to increase water efficiency in all activities, especially in irrigation, which consumes three-fourths of total available water. Concerning the near future food demand and sustainability issues, views are directed to reduce the usage of water or increase the efficiency of water use. India is a major contributor to the agricultural production and food supply to many countries. Irrigated agriculture is being followed by the many farmers in India which consumes huge amounts of water. Considering the monsoon failure and increased water demand, one must find solutions for retaining water in an available manner. The focus is on finding major water-consuming crops and irrigation methods under different irrigation environments of Tamil Nadu. Pudukottai, Salem and Erode are the districts of Tamil Nadu state selected as a study area. In each district, blocks, villages and respondents are selected through multi-stage random sampling. This study is entirely based on primary data which is collected using a well-structured interview schedule. The collected data is used to estimate the Physical Water Productivity (PWP) and Economic Water Productivity (EWP). The results show that PWP and EWP are variable across crops under different irrigation environments. In a tank environment, the alternate drying and wetting method of irrigation in paddy is effective and saves around 39 per cent of water compared to the conventional method by flooding. For Groundnut crops, drip irrigation is more effective than check basins which are better than the flood irrigation method. We can conclude that the farmers should follow water-saving irrigation methods/technologies and cultivate crops that show less demand for water during the season when the water is scarce and turn to cultivation of crops like sugarcane and banana in water surplus season.

Quantitative Description and Classification of Growing Media Particle Morphology through Dynamic Image Analysis

The physical properties of growing media are dependent on the morphological characteristics of the particles composing them. Thus, their characteristics can be more precisely altered for specific purposes by a better morphological design of materials to optimize the use of raw materials and increase water efficiency. There are many references on the relationship between basic particle size and physical properties, but the arrangement of the particles and the resulting physical properties are also affected by the shape of the particles. Growing media have seldom been characterized by shape criteria and, therefore, their influence remains unknown. A dynamic image analyzer, the QicPic device, was used to assess particle shape and size for a wide diversity of growing media constituents. As well as FeretMAX and ChordMIN diameters describing individual particle length and width, respectively, individual particle shape was analyzed in terms of several descriptors (aspect ratio, circularity, roundness, and convexity). A classification was established to discern different particle shapes and all materials were described accordingly. Correlations between particle morphology descriptors were reported, showing that the greater the particle length, the smaller the width/length ratio, circularity, roundness, and convexity. Circularity, roundness, particle length, and its associated relative span were identified as the most relevant parameters describing materials’ morphology. This work shows a large diversity in particle morphology of growing media constituents, which were categorized into four classes of materials. Three classes were mainly described according to their particle shapes, with a decreasing elongation and an increasing circularity, roundness, and convexity: (1) fine and coarse wood and coir fibers; (2) all Sphagnum white peats, milled or sod; and (3) black peats, sedge peat, coir pith, fresh and composted pine bark, green waste compost, and perlite. A fourth class was represented by coir medium (mixing pith and fibers) and was above all characterized by high diversity in particle length. These findings extend the characterization of the materials for a more thorough evaluation of the links between particle morphology and physical properties.

Assessment of Measures to Increase Water Efficiency in Public Swimming Pools

Situations of water stress or even water scarcity are becoming frequent in many regions of the planet, due to the exponential increase in population, the economic development model, and/or climate change. An example of a region where climate change is causing increasing situations of water stress is southern Europe, in the Mediterranean basin. One of the countries where this situation is becoming evident is Portugal, especially the center and south of the country, which has led the government to promote legislation or support for more efficient use of water in different sectors. In the case of the urban sector, local authorities, which are responsible for public water supply, have sought to promote specific actions for the conservation of drinking water and water efficiency measures in buildings and public spaces, in addition to other measures to raise awareness of the consumers. In this article, two technical measures proposed for public swimming pool complexes in the municipality of Cascais are analysed, aiming at greater efficiency in the use of water and the use of alternative sources for non-potable uses. These measures involved carrying out water efficiency audits at the facilities and a feasibility study on the use of the volumes of daily water renewal in swimming pools, for non-potable uses, specifically for flushing toilets. The results show that, in addition to their significant contribution to greater water efficiency in urban areas, these measures are also interesting from an economic point of view, also contributing to a reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.

Does increased water efficiency improve financial performance? The important role of operational efficiency

PurposeThe purpose of this study is to examine the relationships between changes in water efficiency, profit and risk for firms in the global Consumer Packaged Goods industry. This study also aims to consider the moderating effect of operational efficiency on those relationships.Design/methodology/approachUsing a sample of 155 firms with annual corporate social performance and financial performance data from Bloomberg for the years 2010–2019, this study employs first-differencing panel regression models to obtain our results.FindingsThis study finds strong evidence that operational efficiency moderates the relationships between water efficiency, profit and risk. For operationally efficient firms, increasing water efficiency increases profit and reduces risk. But for firms that are not operationally efficient, this study finds the opposite effects. These findings suggest a threshold level of operational efficiency that firms should achieve before they can reap financial benefits from increases in water efficiency.Originality/valueDespite the increasing importance of water efficiency as a measure of corporate social performance, its effects on financial performance are not well studied. The relationship between operational efficiency and water efficiency has also not been examined. This work provides empirical evidence to better understand these important relationships. The major implication for managers is that operational efficiency is a foundational capability that should be developed before focusing on efforts to improve water efficiency. For operationally efficient firms, improvements in water efficiency can be an important mechanism to increase profitability and reduce risk.

Effects of water saving and nitrogen reduction on the yield, quality, water and nitrogen use efficiency of Isatis indigotica in Hexi Oasis

Isatis indigotica planting is the backbone of the medicinal industry in Hexi Oasis, Gansu. In order to solve the problems insufficient water resources and excessive application of nitrogen fertilizer in this area, this paper explored the irrigation and nitrogen levels that can meet the multiple goals of Isatis indigotica. The two-factor split-plot field experiment (2018‒2019) was conducted in Minle County, Gansu Province, China, which contains 9 treatments. There were three levels of irrigation water: W1(low), W2(medium), and W3(high). The soil moisture contents were 60–70%, 70–80%, and 80–90% of the field water-holding capacity, respectively. The nitrogen application rate was classified into three levels, N1(low), N2(medium) and N3(high), which were 150, 200 and 250 kg N/ha, respectively. The standard local irrigation water amount and nitrogen application rate corresponded to W3N3. The results showed that the yield of Isatis indigotica increased first and then decreased with the increase of irrigation amount and nitrogen application rate, the yield of W2N2 is 12.2–17.1% higher than that of W1N1, the yield of W3N3 was 12.1–17.5% lower than that of W2N2. Saving water and reducing nitrogen can improve the quality of Isatis indigotica, compared with W3N3, the indigo, indirubin, (R,S)-epigoitrin and polysaccharides of W2N2 increased by 4.5–5.9%, 2.7–3.1%, 5.2–6.0%, and 1.8–2.1%, respectively. With the increase of nitrogen application rate, the water use efficiency (WUE) first increased and then decreased, as the irrigation volume increases, WUE decreases. Compared with W3N3, the WUE of W2N2 increased by 24.3–27.2%. With the increase of water input, the nitrogen fertilizer use efficiency (NUE) first increased and then decreased, as the nitrogen application rate increases, NUE decreases. Compared with W3N3, the NUE of W2W2 increased by 31.8–34.5%. Therefore, W2N2 can improve quality and increase water and nitrogen utilization efficiency on the basis of ensuring yield.

Food security and livelihood challenges of extensive goat production systems in desertification areas

Abstract Undernourishment and food insecurity are still challenges threatening poor urban and rural communities. Approximately 12% of the global population faced severe food insecurity in 2020, representing 928 million people. A significant fraction of the world’s land surface is covered by drylands, and this proportion is expected to increase in the future, affecting the food security and livelihood of 2 billion people due to climate change. Goats have traditionally been a significant asset and source of protein for rural communities inhabiting arid and semiarid regions of the world. We hypothesize that goats were intentionally selected by communities in dry environments and might be the optimal animal to breed in the future due to their capability to survive in dry environments and to utilize less water than other livestock production systems. However, it must be considered that only a small fraction (1%–2%) of the total water consumed by goats is drunk or utilized directly by the animals. Most of the water consumed is utilized to grow the feed that livestock such as goats consumes. Which in most regions of the world is green water due to goats feed on the vegetation that grows in rainfed rangelands. Increasing water efficiency in goat production is thus critical in the context of increasing water scarcity and desertification. However, there is little research on goat water productivity and the impact of decreasing water security on the sustainability of goat production and, hence, on the livelihoods in small communities in developing countries. Therefore, the impact AQ: Please restrict the word count of “Abstract” to 250 words as is the style requirement--> of increasing water scarcity and desertification on goat production in rainfed lands should be a research priority.

Increasing Water Efficiency by Using Fuzzy Logic Control in Tomatoes Seedling Cultivation

The biggest problem in agriculture is the insufficient amount of water. Sowing cannot be done in the fields due to water scarcity. Some fields become barren land due to excessive irrigation. For these reasons, it is important to use water wisely. In the study, irrigation of tomatoes seed is controlled with fuzzy logic. The use of water is made automatically according to the humidity, temperature and soil moisture of the air. The study was carried out in two stages. First stage; The irrigation system is designed in the MATLAB program. For this, temperature, humidity and soil moisture were used as three inputs. Irrigation time was calculated as output. All inputs and outputs are set to low, medium and high. In the second stage; equal amounts of tomatoes seeds were planted in two separate containers. Normal irrigation was done in the first pot. The control of irrigation in the second bowl was made with fuzzy logic. All data are shown on the screen and recorded for 1 minute. As a result of the study, 22500 milliliters of water were used in normal irrigation, and 10410 milliliters of water were used in a fuzzy logic-controlled circuit. As a result, a water saving of 53.77% was achieved. Arduino microcontroller is used for control. The code was written for the fuzzy logic control circuit simulated in the Arduino microcontroller MATLAB program to work. At the same time, temperature and humidity sensors are connected to the Arduino microcontroller. Incoming data is remotely monitored and controlled by a modem connected to the microcontroller. When the records in the database are examined, 83% energy was saved with lighting algorithm and energy flow control algorithms.

Retrieving Crop Albedo Based on Radar Sentinel-1 and Random Forest Approach

Monitoring agricultural crops is of paramount importance for preserving water resources and increasing water efficiency over semi-arid areas. This can be achieved by modelling the water resources all along the growing season through the coupled water–surface energy balance. Surface albedo is a key land surface variable to constrain the surface radiation budget and hence the coupled water–surface energy balance. In order to capture the hydric status changes over the growing season, optical remote sensing becomes impractical due to cloud cover in some periods, especially over irrigated winter crops in semi-arid regions. To fill the gap, this paper aims to generate cloudless surface albedo product from Sentinel-1 data that offers a source of high spatio-temporal resolution images. This can help to better capture the vegetation development along the growth season through the surface radiation budget. Random Forest (RF) algorithm was implemented using Sentinel-1 backscatters as input. The approach was tested over an irrigated semi-arid zone in Morocco, which is known by its heterogeneity in term of soil conditions and crop types. The obtained results are evaluated against Landsat-derived albedo with quasi-concurrent Landsat/Sentinel-1 overpasses (up to one day offset), while a further validation was investigated using in situ field scale albedo data. The best model-hyperparameters selection was dependent on two validation approaches (K-fold cross-validation ‘k = 10’, and holdout). The more robust and accurate model parameters are those that represent the best statistical metrics (root mean square error ‘RMSE’, bias and correlation coefficient ‘R’). Coefficient values ranging from 0.70 to 0.79 and a RMSE value between 0.0002 and 0.00048 were obtained comparing Landsat and predicted albedo by RF method. The relative error ratio equals 4.5, which is acceptable to predict surface albedo.

Development of application tools for determining cropping patterns based on water availability

Innovative irrigation is a vital factor in increasing water efficiency, gaining benefits, and reducing environmental burdens. Fulfilling irrigation water demand appropriately from time, space, quantity, and quality is the main factor in the irrigation water distribution pattern. A simple information system process, transparent and real-time reporting can reduce water sharing conflicts and improve irrigation operator performance. This research aims to determine the planting area refers to water availability through an automatic calculation application, where the water distribution is carried out based on the condition of the plant’s water demand at that time and several days after. The process of collecting the latest data by installing sensors or recording devices related to the analysis of water demand and availability parameters, such as climatological conditions, plants, and water in the rice fields and their sources, was needed as an input process the application. When the automation of operations operates, sensors on the rice fields plots send information directly to data companies that perform information analysis and send agronomic instructions to machines that regulate the release of the amount of water to the motion weir (smart agriculture management system). The way for determining the planting area and planting pattern calculated using the calculation application of the irrigation water demand, which developed with potential evapotranspiration values, reliable rain (R80), crop coefficient (Kc), and dependable discharge data (Q80) as the input data. This system’s output data consist of a table of irrigation water demand, a graph of the relationship between irrigation water demand and discharge availability for a year.

Agricultural infrastructure: The forgotten key driving force of crop-related water footprints and virtual water flows in China

Here we identified and evaluated the strengths and spatio-temporal heterogeneities in 12 main socio-economic driving factors of water footprints and inter-provincial virtual water flows related to three staple crops (rice, wheat, and maize) within mainland China for 2000–2017, in consideration of the infrastructure related to irrigation, agricultural electricity and road for the first time. The irrigation, agricultural electricity, and road infrastructures in China expanded by 33.8, 4.5, and 2.4 folds, respectively, throughout the course of this study. The results show that irrigation infrastructure in water-scarce regions was the most critical driver for the effective reduction of the water footprint per unit mass of crops, particularly the blue water footprints (i.e. increasing water efficiency). As the irrigation infrastructure per unit area doubled for 2000–2008, blue water use efficiency and total blue water consumption decreased by 58% and 71%, respectively. However, the development of irrigation infrastructure has led to a larger total water footprint in crop production. Agricultural electricity and road infrastructures had increasing effects on provincial virtual water export, with varied corresponding driving strengths across spaces. The visible effects of agricultural infrastructure on regional water productivity, water consumption, and virtual water patterns should not be neglected. This analysis suggests that investments in agricultural infrastructure should consider the spatio-temporal heterogeneity of these infrastructures on local water productivity and water consumption in addition to the economic benefits.

An overview on automatic irrigation system

A modern irrigation system was created to reduce the amount of water used in agricultural fields as well as improve the food quality. In the agriculture field, a lot of water and other resources are wasted. We are utilising an automated plant monitoring system to avoid this problem. Manyfarmers will be able to afford this low-cost automated irrigation system. According to the findings, the system is effective in providing an appropriate amount of water to improve crop yield. We use different sensors in contemporary irrigation systems, such as temperature, humidity, and soil moisture sensors, which sense the various elements of the soil and automatically water the area depending on the soil moisture value by turning on and off the motor. Irrigation automation is a potential technique for reducing irrigation waste and increasing water efficiency. Automation allows farmers to irrigate just when there is a pressing need for water and distribute nutrients in a regulated and exact way, saving time and resources while improving agricultural efficiency and yield. The automatic irrigation system makes an irrigation system more reliable and remove loses of existingirrigation system. This smart irrigation system allows plants to be watered for longer periods of time while maintaining optimal growth conditions. It saves time, and a timer delay based on the weather may be programmed for automated watering. This intelligent watering system may be changed and updated in response to changes in the environment.

Utilizing BIM technology to improve sustainability analyses for Iraqi Construction Projects

The construction sector has a major contribution to resource depletion, high energy consumption and a high negative impact on the environment; hence, the need to improve sustainability in the construction sector has appeared. In this study, Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology is adopted as one of the modern techniques that contribute significantly in improve sustainability. This research aims to investigate around the impact of design parameter alternatives (orientation, window-to-wall ratio, window glass type) on electric energy performance and electric energy cost, study the role of BIM tools in water usage analysis and increase water efficiency and investigate the capabilities provided by BIM tools to improve natural ventilation. Educational project (Deanship building) of Agriculture College at Diyala University is considered as a case study. The result that illustrates the most effective alternatives is window-to-wall ratio with energy-saving around (21,439 kWh/year) and cost-saving around (1929$/year) as well as illustrates water usage indoor around (1,530,385 L/year) and outdoor around (1,063,385 L/year) and indoor water saving around (17.7%) based on fixture efficiency. Also, the results show BIM tools very useful in improving natural ventilation.

Improving water efficiency and productivity using a condensation irrigation technique

In arid to sub-humid region, water has always been the main factor limiting crop production. The need for water is increasing and water availability is a major factor in the development and sustainability of ecosystems. The call to improve the efficiency and productivity of water use, development of new technologies for improving water use efficiency and availability to ensure future food security, has never been more urgent. Condensation irrigation is a new method that has the potential of increasing water efficiency and productivity. In this method, the steam transfers directly to the root zone and sustains the moisture content of the soil. The purpose of this study was to investigate the performance of the CI1 system in increasing water productivity and evaluating potential of this technology to provide moisture in various soils improved with adding organic matters. After selecting the proper temperature and soil texture, lettuce was planted in selected soil and condensation irrigation applied during growing period. Then the water consumed was measured and compared with water use of lettuce planted in greenhouse and traditional practice. Selected medium texture soil (in combination with 35% organic matter) was designated for cultivating lettuce under controlled conditions, CI application, using coated conducting tube, GH2 and TP3. The results of this study showed that after harvesting and full growth of lettuce in all three conditions, production per 1 m3 water to grow lettuce in CI, GH and TP was 1250, 333 and 75.5 kg, respectively. Water use efficiency was investigated in all treatments and the results showed that with a probability of 99% there is a significant difference between different irrigation methods, and the highest water use efficiency resulted from CI. The consumed water during the growth period in the GH was about four times that of CI, and in TP it was 21 times that of CI, which indicates a significant reduction in water use and more productivity in CI. By examining the weight of dry lettuce in all three methods, the results showed that in all samples taken from all methods the biomass was 12.5%. Further research is needed to verify the feasibility and applicability of this method in large scale.

Efficient water management: an analysis for the agricultural sector

AbstractEfficient water use in agriculture depends on a number of variables, from the farmers’ perceptions of these concerns, to the socioeconomic dimensions. In any case, it is important to bring about more insight into these fields, specifically to stimulate the design of adjusted management plans and policies which increase water efficiency on farms. These are relevant motivations to perform more research in these fields. In this framework, the main objective of this study is to analyse the water management efficiency of the agricultural sector in the regions (NUTS 2) and countries in the European Union. For this purpose, statistical information from the Eurostat was considered and an approach based on the Cobb–Douglas theory of production was used which combines DEA (data envelopment analysis) with factor and cluster analysis. Also performed was qualitative analysis with the Atlas.ti software. This approach that combines qualitative analysis with DEA–factor-cluster analysis brings new outcomes to the literature. The insights obtained from this study reveal that it is possible to improve water management without compromising the agricultural output and while still improving farmers’ profit. For example, in some French regions, almost 100% of the surface water withdrawal for agricultural irrigation could be saved.