Irrigation Water Productivity of Field Crops, Vegetables and Orchards in a Semiarid Region of Afghanistan
Year: 2026
Type: article
Abstract: ABSTRACT Irrigation water productivity (IWP) was assessed for major field crops, vegetables and orchards under semiarid conditions in Khak‐e‐Jabbar District, Afghanistan. Field measurements, farmer interviews and agricultural records provided 382 crop‐specific observations. IWP differed significantly among crops (Kruskal–Wallis, p < 0.001). Tomato had the highest mean IWP (3.44 kg/m 3 ), followed by onion (3.23 kg/m 3 ) and plumcot (2.79 kg/m 3 ), whereas beans had the lowest value (0.49 kg/m 3 ). Vegetables showed the highest group‐level IWP, followed by orchards, cereals and legumes. A comparison with FAO (2017) reference ranges indicated that tomato, potato, maize and apple remained below their respective benchmarks. These differences show the need for crop‐specific irrigation management in semiarid areas.
Source: Irrigation and Drainage
DOI: 10.1002/ird.70241
Institution: Polytechnical University of Kabul
Language: English
Subfield: Soil Science
Domain: Life Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W7222315166