Evaluation of Agricultural Water Productivity Indices in Major Field Crops in Mashhad Plain (Technical Note)

In this research, by studying the water productivity of agricultural crops cultivated in the Razavi Khorasan Province, strategies have been proposed to improve the crop pattern. To calculate the agricultural water productivity the CPD, BPD, and NBPD indices are used. To determine these parameters it is necessary to calculate the expenditure and income from the cultured products. The required information was obtained through interviews with experts, farmers, and the Statistical Yearbook of the agricultural sector (Razavi Khorasan Province) in the year 2013. The net water requirement for each crop was calculated using the NETWAT software and the gross water requirement, or the volume of water consumption per hectare, for each crop was determined on the basis of the average water application efficiency in farms in the Razavi Khorasan Province, which is 50.2 percent. The results showed that the priority of the culture of crops based on the CPD index is onions, tomatoes, and sugar beets. Based on the BPD and NBPD indices the priority becomes potatoes, onions, and tomatoes. Based on the results of this study, it is suggested that the crops with high water consumption and lower economic efficiency, such as alfalfa, should be removed from the cropping pattern. This will both reduce consumption and water extraction as well as guaranteeing high economic profits for the farmers.