Chintala et al. (2026) From leaf, canopy to ecosystem: Multi-scale dynamics and drivers of maize water use efficiency in semi-arid tropics

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural and Forest Meteorology
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-08-20
• Authors: Syam Chintala, BVN P. Kambhammettu, Abhinay Reddy Mandadi, Veeranna Jatoth, Kanishka Mallick
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111432

Research Groups

• Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (IIT-H)
• Department of Soil and Water Conservation, College of Agricultural Engineering
• CESBIO, Université de Toulouse, CNES/CNRS/INRAE/IRD

Short Summary

This study investigates the dynamics and drivers of water use efficiency in maize crops under alternate furrow irrigation and conventional furrow irrigation across monsoon and winter seasons at leaf, canopy, and ecosystem scales.

Objective

• Investigate the scale dependency and controlling factors of water use efficiency (WUE) in semi-arid tropical croplands

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Leaf, Canopy, Ecosystem
• Temporal Scale: Monsoon and Winter seasons

Methodology and Data

• Models used: Structural Equation Modelling, Lindeman-Merenda-Gold relative importance method, Nonlinear Fuzzy Rough Set algorithm
• Data sources: In-situ measurements of leaf photosynthesis, transpiration, canopy biomass, transpiration, ecosystem gross primary productivity, and evapotranspiration

Main Results

• WUE dynamics were primarily regulated by atmospheric water demand rather than radiative forcing at diurnal scales
• Seasonal WUE trajectories shifted progressively from carbon-limited conditions in early growth stages to water-limited conditions towards maturity
• Alternate furrow irrigation reduced vegetation water use by 20.1%, 14.2%, and 13.6% at leaf, canopy, and ecosystem scales respectively

Contributions

• Identified scale-dependent controls governing agricultural WUE in semi-arid cropping systems
• Highlighted the importance of considering scale-specific drivers for improving agricultural productivity and food security in semi-arid regions

Funding

• This research was funded by [project name] (reference code: [code])

Citation

@article{Chintala2026From,
  author = {Chintala, Syam and Kambhammettu, BVN P. and Mandadi, Abhinay Reddy and Jatoth, Veeranna and Mallick, Kanishka},
  title = {From leaf, canopy to ecosystem: Multi-scale dynamics and drivers of maize water use efficiency in semi-arid tropics},
  journal = {Agricultural and Forest Meteorology},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111432},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agrformet.2026.111432}
}