Optimal Water Management and Sustainability in Irrigated Agriculture

As the global demand for food continues to rise, it is crucial to ensure that our agricultural practices are sustainable and efficient, especially when it comes to water management in irrigated agriculture. The sustainability of irrigated agriculture requires the efficient management of the available but limited water resources under the existing constraints. Water demand in irrigation is expected to increase in the near future, and it will be seriously impacted by climate change, especially in arid and semi-arid areas. The irrigation water-use efficiency is key to addressing water shortages and reducing environmental problems. In this context, robust and optimal approaches are used to improve irrigation water efficiency, energy use, and crop productivity, and to mitigate economic losses from water scarcity. The SI brings together 14 research papers addressing various water management aspects in irrigated agriculture. The Issue covers a range of topics such as (a) sustainable practices and crop sequencing, (b) irrigation scheduling and deficit water irrigation, (c) the hydrochemical assessment of water, (d) fertigation and irrigation, and (e) forecasting techniques of reference evapotranspiration.