Water productivity evaluation for grain crops in irrigated regions of China. (August 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Cao, Xinchun; Wang, Yubao; Wu, Pute; Zhao, Xining
• Is Part Of: Ecological indicators. Volume 55(2015)
• Page Start: 107
• Page End: 117
• Publication Date: 2015-08
• Subjects: Water productivity -- Evaluation indicator -- Spatial-temporal differences -- Irrigation district, Food and ecological security; Environmental monitoring -- Periodicals; Environmental management -- Periodicals; Environmental impact analysis -- Periodicals; Environmental risk assessment -- Periodicals; Sustainable development -- Periodicals; 333.71405
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2015.03.003
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1470-160X

Abstract

Highlights: Improving crop water productivity is necessary for ensuring food and ecological security. Calculating water productivity from multiple perspectives and four indices are screened out. Policy decision-making could be based on spatial pattern of WP and relationship among water productivity indices. Abstract: Improving crop water productivity is necessary for ensuring food and ecological security. To quantify the water utilization in grain production from multiple perspectives, gross inflow water productivity (WPg ), generalized water productivity (WPu ), evapotranspiration water productivity (WPET ) and irrigation water productivity (WPI ) were screened in this study. Then, we calculated and analyzed the temporal and spatial variation of the water productivity indices (WPs) in the irrigated land of 31 provinces of China based on the data collected from 459 irrigation districts. The results show that the national values of the four indices were 0.694, 0.860, 1.314, and 1.361 kg/m 3, and almost all of the provincial WPs increased from 1998 to 2010. The Moran's I analysis shows all of the WP indices were significantly clustered, both globally and locally, in the study years. WPs of the provinces in and around Huang-Huai-Hai Plain are high, while provinces in the northeast, south of the Yangtze River and the northwest of China showed lower water use efficiency. There is a large difference among the four indices in the scientific connotation and numerical performance, and the degree of the spatial difference was WPI > WPET > WPu > WPg . It is necessary to promote WP in the irrigated land of China, and the provinces in the northeast should be chosen as the key regions to develop water-saving agriculture because of the high production of grain and the low value of WP. Policy decision-making based on the spatial pattern of WP and their relationships among indices for specified regions are also discussed in this paper.