Water Use Productivity Research Articles

Changes in Water and Carbon Fluxes in the USA Southern Great Plains Grassland Due to Evergreen Forest Encroachment

The southern Great Plains (SGP) grassland of the United States has been largely encroached by evergreen forest in recent decades. The response of the grassland water and carbon cycles to the encroachment is not clear yet. Given so, this study quantified the changes in gross primary production (GPP), evapotranspiration (ET), and ecosystem water use efficiency (EWUE) between grassland pixels with evergreen forest encroachment and neighboring pure grassland pixels (500 m). We also assessed the spatial variation of the changes in relation to precipitation (mm), air temperature (°C), and evergreen forest coverage (%). These analyses were repeated, respectively for the years of 2004, 2008, 2016, and 2019 as robustness check. Results suggest that across the 4 years, 62–72% of encroached grassland pixels exhibit higher annual GPP, 67–74% exhibit higher annual ET, whereas 65–71% exhibit lower annual EWUE. The change ratio of ET is positively correlated with that of GPP but negatively correlated with that of EWUE. Additionally, the spatial variation in the change ratios of annual GPP and ET can be explained to a certain degree by the encroachment amount. These results further clarify the response of water and carbon cycles to evergreen forest encroachment in the SGP grassland.

Laser land leveling technology for paddy production in Vietnam: impact on efficient irrigation and water conservation.

This research investigates the empirical effects of the laser land leveling (LLL) adoption on irrigation water and water efficiency in paddy production in the Mekong Delta region (MDR), using the randomized controlled trial (RCT) approach incorporated into input demand function models. The descriptive analysis highlights the potential for water reuse through farmers' drainage practices. However, the dependence on experiential methods for applying technology in paddy production poses challenges that could compromise long-term sustainability. The regression results indicate that the LLL treatment leads to savings of 1975 m3ha-1 and 1299.35 m3ha-1 in irrigation water and net water use in paddy production, respectively, compared to the control. These savings account for 20.52% of total irrigation water use and 28.64% of net water use. The projected savings on average are 375.51 and 247.05 million m3, respectively, for irrigation water and net water use with 5% implementation of the technology in the MDR. The research highlights the environmental benefits of the LLL technology and underscores the need for its promotion to achieve water conservation in paddy production, offering policymakers insights to enhance sustainable agriculture amid climate change and water scarcity. The study addresses significant gaps in the existing literature by providing an in-depth analysis of LLL technology's impact on irrigation water and efficiency by extending the drainage performance within the paddy mono-cropping context and employing RCT methodology combined with input demand function models to comprehensively evaluate its impact on irrigation water usage.

Optimizing Water and Energy use in Rice Production through Direct Seeding in Punjab, India

Optimizing Water and Energy use in Rice Production through Direct Seeding in Punjab, India

Green hydrogen as a sustainable operations strategy: A socio-economic perspective

Hydrogen is an energy carrier that can support the development of sustainable and flexible energy systems. However, decarbonization can occur when green sources are used for energy production and appropriate water use is manifested. This work aims to propose a socio-economic analysis of hydrogen production from an integrated wind and electrolysis plant in southern Italy. The estimated production amounts to about 1.8 million kg and the LCOH is calculated to be 3.60 €/kg in the base scenario. Analyses of the alternative scenarios allow us to observe that with a high probability the value ranges between 3.20–4.00 €/kg and that the capacity factor is the factor that most affects the economic results. Social analysis, conducted through an online survey, shows a strong knowledge gap as only 27.5 % claim to know the difference between green and grey hydrogen. There is a slight propensity to install systems near their homes, but this tends to increase due to increased knowledge on the topic. Respondents state sustainable behaviours, and this study suggests that these aspects should also be transformed into the energy choices that are implemented every day. The study suggests information to policy-makers, businesses and citizens as it outlines that green hydrogen is an operations strategy that moves toward sustainable development.

Leaching Efficiency During Autumn Irrigation in China’s Arid Hetao Plain as Influenced by the Depth of Shallow Saline Groundwater and Irrigation Depth, Using Data from Static Water-Table Lysimeters and the Hydrus-1D and SIMDualKc Models

The need for controlling salinity in arid zones is essential for sustainable agricultural production and irrigation water use. A case study performed for two years in Hetao, Inner Mongolia, China, is used herein to rethink the contradictory issues of arid lands represented by water saving and controlling soil and water salinity. Two sets of static lysimeters, where water table depths (WTDs) were fixed at 1.25, 150, 2.00, and 2.25 m, were continuously monitored, and soil water and solute data were used to calibrate and validate two models: the soil water balance model SIMDualKc and the deterministic soil water and salt dynamics model HYDRUS-1D. Once accurately calibrated, the models were used to simulate maize water use, percolation, and capillary rise, along with the observed variables for the actual WTD and the autumn irrigation applied. Simulation scenarios also considered agricultural system degradation and dynamic water table behavior. Results have shown that large leaching efficiencies (Lefs) were obtained for large irrigation depths in cases of shallow water tables, but higher Lefs corresponded to high application depths when the water table was deeper. Agricultural system degradation, particularly increased groundwater salinity, lowered Lef, regardless of WTD. Conversely, water savings were minimal and only achievable when considering the dynamic nature of groundwater. These results indicate that there is a need to define different WTDs based on soil characteristics that influence fluxes and root zone storage, as well as the impacts of newly installed drainage systems aimed at salt extraction.

Estimation of consumptive water use for Watermelon in Auchi, Nigeria

This study aims to estimate the consumptive water use (CWU) for watermelon production in Auchi, Edo State, Nigeria. The research was conducted over a period of eight months (March–October) and used data collected from the watermelon field at the Demonstration and Research Farm of Auchi Polytechnic, Auchi. The result of the experiment revealed the estimation of CWU and watermelon water requirements (CWR) of 175.9 mm and 195 mm for the 62-day (August to October) vegetation stage of watermelon, with a CROPWAT projected harvest on November 20, 2022. The finding also revealed that the mean annual consumptive water use for watermelon production was 520.7 mm. The mean seasonal water use for watermelon production was higher in the dry season (March to June, 488.7mm) than in the wet season (July to October, 390.6mm). However, based on this harvest date, the model predicted irrigation requirements of 23.1 mm and 59.4 mm in October and November. Additionally, this study offers proof that management strategies for water use efficiency and irrigation scheduling can dramatically lower water losses and boost efficiency. The findings of this study can be applied to the Auchi region’s water management decision-making procedures as well as to help watermelon farmers reduce their water consumption levels while maintaining output.

CÁLCULO DE LA HUELLA VIRTUAL DEL AGUA EN EL PROCESO PRODUCTIVO Y BENEFICIADO DE CAFÉ (Coffea arabica L.) EN HUATUSCO, MÉXICO, UTILIZANDO EL SOFTWARE CROPWAT 8.0

<p><strong>Background:</strong> The use and expenditure of water within agriculture is of vital importance, especially in coffee farming, therefore it is very important to know that the virtual water in the production of coffee beans, as well as in the process of wet processing (transformation of cherry coffee to dry parchment coffee), so far there is no data on the use of virtual water in coffee production in the study region. <strong>Objective:</strong> To determine the virtual water (green and gray) calculation of the virtual footprint by means of the FAO program CROPWAT 8.0 and the calculation of water expenditure in coffee mills in the region of Huatusco, Veracruz. <strong>Methodology:</strong> The program CROPWAT 8.0 was obtained, and normal climatological data were reviewed to obtain the data and to be able to make the calculations to obtain the virtual footprint, subsequently the water expenditure was measured in five wet coffee mills, for this purpose the mills were visited during the harvest season and the measurements could be made. <strong>Results:</strong> A total green and gray virtual footprint of 977.61 m<sup>3</sup>/kg of coffee produced in the field production process was estimated. In relation to the virtual water expenditure in the wet coffee mills where water expenditure was measured: two of the five mills analyzed had the following data: The third mill reached an expense of 566 m<sup>3</sup>/kg of processed cherry coffee and the five mill had an amount of 162 m3/kg of processed cherry coffee and an average of 155.13 m<sup>3</sup>/kg of processed coffee. In total, the virtual footprint obtained: green, gray and water consumption in the processing process was 1132.73 m<sup>3</sup>/kg of parchment coffee. The blue virtual footprint was considered zero since irrigation is not used in the region for coffee production. <strong>Implications:</strong> The data found are the pioneers in the calculation of the virtual footprint of the species <em>(Coffea arabica</em> L.) more studies on this subject are needed in the region which will raise awareness about the virtual footprint generated in the coffee production and processing process, as well as proposed alternatives for a more sustainable use. <strong>Conclusions:</strong> The virtual footprint obtained was high in the study region and like studies carried out in other countries, which indicates that there is an awareness of how much water is used in the production and processing of coffee, as well as its impact in the short, medium and long term.</p>

Spatiotemporal dynamics of the water footprint and virtual water trade in global cotton production and trade

Cotton, the world's most widely cultivated fiber crop, is associated with a multitude of environmental impacts, particularly the intensive use of water resources. While previous studies have assessed cotton's water usage through the water footprint concept, they largely focused on spatial variability, leaving temporal dynamics and the issue of unsustainable water use underexplored. This global study addressed these gaps by examining both the spatial and temporal variability of cotton's water footprint and assessing the unsustainable water footprint over time. Additionally, it explored the potential of flax as a water-efficient alternative for fiber production. Using a global gridded crop model, the study simulated yield and water use of flax and cotton from 1972 to 2018 at 30 arcmin resolution. The results showed that the global average blue, green, and total water footprint of cotton decreased by 37%, 48%, and 43%, respectively, due to yield improvements driven by improved crop cultivars, fertilizers, and better water management practices, with climate playing a minor role in these reductions. Despite this, the total water footprint of cotton production increased by 5%, with the blue water footprint rising by 17%. Additionally, unsustainable blue water usage in cotton cultivation increased from 59.3 km³/y to 70.9 km³/y between 1972-1976 and 2014–2018, with 71.1% of the unsustainable water traded virtually. USA, Pakistan, and India accounted for over 60% of this unsustainable virtual water trade. Flax, with its substantially lower water footprint, emerged as a promising alternative to reduce water consumption in fiber production. These findings offer critical insights for formulating strategies to mitigate unsustainable water use in global fiber production.

Water Budget Input Linked to Atmospheric Rivers in British Columbia's Nechako River Basin

ABSTRACTThis study explores the contribution of atmospheric rivers (ARs) to the water budget input of the Nechako River Basin (NRB) in British Columbia (BC), western Canada. The study quantifies the fraction of precipitation, rainfall, snowfall, and snow water equivalent (SWE) associated with ARs at multiple scales and tests for trends using the Mann–Kendall (MK) test. AR‐related totals for 1950–2021 were created by linking AR events to water budget input variables of the ERA5‐Land reanalysis product on a daily scale. Associations with different phases of the El Niño‐Southern Oscillation (ENSO) climate pattern and AR‐related contributions to the NRB are also investigated. Results indicate an increasing fractional contribution of rain in ARs landfalling in the NRB in the last two decades (2000–2019). Moreover, 21% of the total annual precipitation in the NRB is associated with ARs, with decreasing contributions from west to east. October has higher AR‐related total precipitation than other months, while March, May and June are the least affected. ARs contribute disproportionately more to mid‐ and high‐intensity daily precipitation totals, and provide up to 45% and 24% of the seasonal rainfall and snowfall, respectively. AR‐related SWE is relatively higher in autumn due to the increased frequency and intensity of ARs, resulting in a greater fractional contribution of ARs to the snowpack compared to winter. ARs influence snowpack accumulation during fall (18%) and winter (13%) but also increase the risk of natural hazards. The MK test for AR‐related water budget variables on the annual scale identified no significant trends. However, AR‐related snowfall shows decreasing trends in the NRB, more specifically in the Upper Nechako, Lower Nechako and Stellako sub‐basins during the summer. Over the study period, ARs consistently contribute up to one‐fifth of the annual input to the NRB's water budget. This study provides the first quantitative assessment and trend analyses of AR contributions to the water budget input of a reservoir‐regulated watershed in north‐central BC, yielding valuable information for hydropower production, ecological flows, irrigation, domestic and industrial water use.

Impacts of Irrigated Water Use on Household’s Income in South Wollo Zone, Amhara Regional State, Ethiopia

Agriculture is the backbone of the Sub-Saharan African economy. Ethiopia's GDP is also shared by 45 from the agriculture sectors. However, it is confronted and challenged by variable rainfall and climate changes. Particularly, in South Wollo zone, agriculture is not exceptional in facing such daunting challenges and effects of variable rainfall and climate change despite there are abundant alternative irrigated water resources. River and groundwater sources have not yet been used as alternative uses for agricultural production. As a result, rural households' income couldn’t meet their minimum food and nonfood requirements. This study, thus, attempted to evaluate the impact of irrigated water use on rural household's income in South Wollo Zone, Amhara regional state, Ethiopia. In pursuit of this, it employed a descriptive type of research design and triangulated research approach that consists of both quantitative and qualitative techniques. Primary and secondary data were collected from small scale irrigated households and secondary sources. Binary logistic regression was used to determine major significant factors that affect households' irrigated water use for agricultural production. A propensity core matching model was employed to evaluate irrigated water use and agriculture on household’s income. This study result (binary logistic regression result) showed that the household’s family size, land size and willingness were significant factors that determined irrigated water use for agricultural production at 95 percent level of significance. The propensity score matching model result also shows that irrigated water use significantly created significant impact on household’s income. It is, thus, keenly important to change and improve the smallholder farmer’s land size, extension services, rural credit, technology, education level, awareness about family size, and willingness to use irrigated water sources, such as, ground and river water for agriculture agricultural production that increase their level of income.

Efficiency of Irrigation Water Use in Egyptian Agricultural Production

Efficiency of Irrigation Water Use in Egyptian Agricultural Production

Estimating the cost-effectiveness of several reservoir evaporation suppression strategies: a case study

Reservoirs often experience significant evaporation, causing a reduction in productive water use and prompting calls to curtail the loss. While efforts to reduce evaporation have predominantly focused on improving efficiencies, there has been a comparatively limited exploration of the associated costs per unit of additional water yield. To address this, a unit reference value (URV) calculation approach was employed in a case study to compare the unit costs of this additional yield through various evaporation suppression methods. The evaluated techniques included chemical monolayers, shade cloth, and both hard and soft floating covers. The URV calculation factored in capital, operating, and maintenance costs over a 20-year term, specified water-saving efficiencies for each technology, and various environmentally driven evaporation and social discount rates. The resulting URVs were compared with those for raising the Clanwilliam Dam, a large-scale groundwater scheme and the URVs for desalination. Notably, monolayers emerged with the lowest URV, but their yield efficiency is severely compromised by their short lifespan and high susceptibility to wind. The URVs of shade cloth proved competitive with those of desalination but are practical only for relatively small areas. In contrast, floating hard and soft covers demonstrated higher per-unit water delivery costs than desalination due to more frequent capital equipment replacements caused by their faster wear and weathering. The findings suggest that current evaporation suppression technologies may be economically unfeasible for agricultural and even domestic water supplies. The URV calculation serves as a valuable tool for comparing the cost-effectiveness of diverse yield-additive strategies.

Impacts of Alternate Wetting and Drying Technology on Water Use and Soil Nitrogen Transformations for Sustainable Rice Production: A Review

Impacts of Alternate Wetting and Drying Technology on Water Use and Soil Nitrogen Transformations for Sustainable Rice Production: A Review

A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Factors Influencing Water Use Behaviour and the Efficiency of Agricultural Production in South Africa

Water use behaviour and efficiency are essential topics regarding water scarcity. Water is a life-sustaining resource used for various activities within the three primary sectors: agricultural, industrial, and domestic. Increasing competition among these sectors could affect the availability and sustainability of water use. The higher demand for agricultural-related commodities emphasizes the efficient and productive use of water. Still, to achieve this, the behaviour of consumers regarding water use needs to be changed. This systematic review paper aims to highlight the factors affecting water use behaviour and efficiency for agricultural production in South Africa. It further aims to determine how agricultural producers change their behaviour to improve their water use efficiency. The Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) criteria were used as a reporting framework and guidelines to identify the articles included in the review. The review only included articles focussing on agricultural water use behaviour and efficiency and articles written in English and excluded articles from web pages, blogs, magazines, etc. The databases used for the review were Google Scholar and Web of Science. The articles were reviewed by the five authors to avoid the risk of bias, along with the inclusion and exclusion criteria. The final review included 30 peer-reviewed articles. A word frequency table was developed using the NVivo 14 software to conduct a thematic analysis for the review. The main factors which played a role in the water use behaviour and efficiency of farmers were (i) climate and adaptation strategies, (ii) policy and water pricing, and (iii) agricultural production and management. Each category elaborated on how water use could be improved and the different measures adopted to incorporate sustainable farm water use. This could be a guideline for farmers, stakeholders, and policymakers to improve and enhance water use behaviour and efficiency in Sub-Saharan Africa, particularly South Africa. This could ultimately assist in efficiently using the water while enhancing sustainability within the agricultural sector and attaining Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) six, which is to increase water use efficiency. The limitation of this study was that it was only narrowed down to the geographical context of South Africa. This review was funded by the Water Research Commission (WRC) of South Africa (Project Number: C20222023-00798). This review was not registered.

Response of irrigation scheduling with hydrogel under deficit and sufficient irrigation conditions on Indian mustard (Brassica juncea) in semi-arid India

In the Gird Agroclimatic Zone at Rajamata Vijayaraj Scindia Krishi Visva Vidhyalay, Zonal Agricultural Research Station Morena, an experiment was carried out during the Rabi season of 2013–14, 2014–15, and 2015–16. Split plot design was used to set up the experiment, with three hydrogel levels assigned to each sub-plot and four watering schedules assigned to the main plots, all of which were reproduced three times. The growth and yield parameters of mustard (Brassica juncea L.) were significantly higher when irrigation was scheduled at 0.8 IW/CPE. These attributes were plant height, number of primary branches plant-1, number of siliquae plant-1, number of seeds siliqua-1, and seed yield (1803 kg ha-1). In a similar vein, the irrigation schedule at 0.8 IW/CPE across the remaining treatments resulted in better oil yield (781.8 kg ha-1), financial returns, production efficiency (15.1 kg ha-1day-1), and B:C Ratio. When compared to the other treatments, the irrigation schedule with rainfed (no irrigation) had the highest water use efficiency (8.5 kgha-cm). As the hydrogel level was increased to 5.0 kg ha-1, growth metrics, yield attributes, seed yield, and oil production all improved. Higher production efficiency (14.3 kg ha-1 day-1) and water use efficiency (9.5 kg/ha-cm) were also brought about by the increased yield with 5.0 kg ha-1 hydrogel.

Growth performance of durian based on crop water requirement (ETc) using irrigation system

Water use for agricultural production in water scarcity regions requires precise irrigation water for sustainable irrigation management. The correct amount of irrigation water should be applied to ensure the survival of plants. Currently, farmers apply irrigation without considering the actual amount of the crop water requirement (ETc), which may lead to over or under-irrigation. These problems may cause water logging, crop stress, reduced yield and inefficient farm management. Durian (Durio zibethinus) is an important economic crop of Southeast Asian countries, including Thailand, Malaysia, and Indonesia. Lately, durian plantation has been increasing in Malaysia with innovative and sustainable approaches through irrigation or fertigation. The growth of durian is highly affected by water and nutrients given to the plants. This paper highlights the effect of precise irrigation through durian water requirement. Hence, this study aims to compare the difference in growth performance between existing practices (irrigation without ETc) and irrigation based on ETc. The study was conducted in the durian plantation at Sri Lalang, Kluang, Johor. There were two treatments tested on the durian, which are treatment 1 (T1) existing practice (irrigation without ETc) and treatment 2 (T2), irrigation based on ETc. The experimental design for this experiment is a Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with four (4) blocks, and four trees for each treatment per block. The data collection includes the height of the tree, canopy width, girth’s diameter, node distance, leaf length and leaf weight. These data were analysed using ANOVA and LSD. Data was collected from April until November 2020. There was a significant difference in node distance from April until September. However, there were no significant differences for other growth parameters, suggesting precise crop water requirement can save water and minimize cost for the whole irrigation management.

Water Footprint and Water Sustainability of Agroindustrial Avocado Production in a Warm Tropical Climate Municipality: A Case Study in the Michoacan Avocado Belt in Central México

Water is a fundamental resource for ecosystems, humans, and the development of all economic sectors; it is necessary to identify and evaluate its environmental pressures and impacts. The water footprint (WF) is an appropriate indicator for the consumption of water used to produce a product. The present study uses this tool to evaluate the green and blue water requirements and the sustainability of irrigation water use for agroindustrial avocado production in Ziracuaretiro, Michoacán (2012–2021). Our analysis was based on aggregating weather and soil data at the municipal level and official government databases of avocado cultivated surface, fruit production, and water rights concessions. The analysis considers the homogeneity of information throughout the study area. We estimated that rainfed plantations require 839.03 m3/ton, and irrigated plantations require 2355.80 m3/ton, with an average of 1597.47 m3/ton. In addition, we determined that avocado cultivation can demand up to 124.3% of agricultural water concessions in this municipality. Moreover, the WF estimates and the analysis indicate that such studies are fundamental for decision-makers to develop and implement water use efficiency strategies and shows the need for further research related to the water consumption of avocado as a crop at more detailed scales.

Water-Energy Nexus: Optimizing Water Use in Energy Production

The water-energy nexus represents a critical interdependence between water resources and energy production, highlighting the need for sustainable management strategies. This abstract explores the optimization of water use in energy production, focusing on the key challenges, solutions, and potential benefits of integrating water and energy systems efficiently. Challenges arise from the significant water requirements of traditional energy sources such as thin able practices. Various strategies can enhance water efficiency in energy production, including technological advancements like dry cooling systems for power plants, water recycling and reuse techniques, and the development of water-saving renewable energy technologies like solar and wind power. These approaches aim to minimize water consumption, reduce pollution, and enhance overall resource resilience thermal power plants and hydropower, leading to water scarcity concerns and environmental impacts. Climate change further exacerbates these challenges, emphasizing the urgency of adopting just a Moreover, optimization techniques such as mathematical modeling, data analytics, and decision support systems play a crucial role in managing water resources effectively within the energy sector. These tools facilitate real-time monitoring, predictive analysis, and adaptive management, enabling informed decision-making and resource allocation. The benefits of optimizing water use in energy production are multifaceted.

Optimizing irrigation and nitrogen fertilizer management to improve apple yield, quality, water productivity and nitrogen use efficiency: A global meta-analysis

Inappropriate strategies in water use and nitrogen (N) fertilizer application in apple production can decrease apple yield, water productivity (WP), nitrogen use efficiency (NUE), and quality, leading to severe environmental pollution. However, there is a lack of systematic analysis on the effects of water use and N fertilizer inputs on apple yield, quality, WP, and NUE at the global scale. Therefore, we conducted a comprehensive meta-analysis with 1834 observations from 72 published studies across 18 countries to assess the effects of water use and N inputs on apple yield, quality, WP, and NUE. We aim to quantify the potential for water-saving and N-saving for global apple production. Our results showed that the global average apple yield, organic acids (OA), total soluble solids (TSS), vitamin C (VC), firmness (FN), WP, and NUE were 34.7 t ha−1, 0.51 %, 13.9 %, 4.7 mg 100 g−1, 7.4 kg cm−2, 6.8 kg m−3, and 214.5 kg kg−1, respectively. Reducing above-optimal water input to optimal water input may increase apple yield by 19.4 %, WP by 36.1 %, OA by 12.5 %, TSS by 8.4 %, VC by 17.5 % and FN by 9.8 %, respectively. Reducing above-optimal N inputs to optimal N inputs may increase apple yield by 8.9 %, NUE by 48.1 %, OA by 10.7 %, TSS by 6.1 %, VC by 13.3 % and FN by 5.2 %, respectively. The overall global mean water-saving and N-saving potentials for apple production were 20.4 % (136 mm less water irrigated) and 37 % (203 kg ha−1 less N fertilizer used), respectively. Our findings provide guidance for water use and N fertilizer management of apple production and can thus help to improve/ maintain yield and quality for greatly saving water and N fertilizer.

Plastic mulch increases dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity, while straw mulch increases soil water storage

Amplifying drought stress and high precipitation variability impair dryland wheat production. These problems can potentially be minimized by using plastic mulch (PM) or straw mulch (SM). Therefore, wheat grain yield, soil water storage, soil temperature and water-use productivity of PM and SM treatments were compared with no mulch (CK) treatment on dryland wheat over a period of eight seasons. Compared to the CK treatment, PM and SM treatments on average significantly increased grain yield by 12.6 and 10.5%, respectively. Compared to the CK treatment, SM treatment significantly decreased soil daily temperature by 0.57, 0.60 and 0.48°C for the whole seasons, growing periods and summer fallow periods, respectively. In contrast, compared to the CK treatment, PM treatment increased soil daily temperature by 0.44, 0.51 and 0.27°C for the whole seasons, growing periods and summer fallow periods, respectively. Lower soil temperature under SM allowed greater soil water storage than under PM. Soil water storage pre-seeding was 17% greater under the SM than under the PM treatment. Soil water storage post-harvest was similar for the PM and SM treatments, but evapotranspiration was 4.5% higher in the SM than in the PM treatment. Consequently, water-use productivity was 6.6% greater under PM than under the SM treatment. Therefore, PM treatment increased dryland wheat yield and water-use productivity, while straw mulch increased soil water storage.