An Investigation on Physical Productivity of Water and Energy Indices in Two Contrasting Climates

Water, food, and energy are three essential sources for maintaining life and fostering socio-economic development, and they are inseparably interconnected. The aim of the present study was to examine the indicators of water and energy efficiency of major agricultural products, namely, wheat and rapeseed, in two different climates in Sari (temperate and humid) and Sharifabad (hot and semi-arid) plains in Iran. To investigate these indicators in wheat and rapeseed crops, data from the agricultural year 2021-22 were utilized. Initially, the number of samples was determined based on the Cochran formula. Then, sampling was done using a questionnaire designed by the authors. The questionnaires numbered 300, and the collected information included inputs and production quantities. The results showed that the average water physical efficiencies in Sari Plain for wheat and rapeseed crops were 1.13 and 0.67 kg/m3, while in Sharifabad Plain, it was 0.83 and 0.35 kg/m3, respectively. Furthermore, the results indicated that the highest level of input energy in Sari and Sharifabad plains for wheat was 80618 and 71072 MJ/ha, respectively. The results also showed that greenhouse gas emissions were higher in Sari than in Sharifabad, probably because of excessive use of fertilizer and pesticide in Sari. The highest greenhouse gas emissions in Sari for wheat were 2495 kg CO2/ha, and in Sharifabad, it was 2299 kg CO2/ha. Overall, the results indicated that crop performance in humid regions was higher than in dry and semi-dry regions, and this indicator depends on various parameters, including water consumption and agronomic management.