Qu et al. (2026) Transition toward increased maize water productivity in the Hetao Irrigation District in northwest China

Identification

• Journal: Agricultural Water Management
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-10-07
• Authors: Ziyuan Qu, Xingwang Wang, Chenglong Zhang, Junwei Tan, Zailin Huo
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110815

Research Groups

• State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources
• Center for Agricultural Water Research in China, China Agricultural University

Short Summary

This study applied a remote sensing-based model to simulate maize evapotranspiration (ET), yield and water productivity (WP) across the Hetao Irrigation District (HID) in northwest China from 2001 to 2024. The results showed a pronounced turning point around 2017, with significant increases in ET, yield, and WP thereafter.

Objective

• Assess the applicability and accuracy of the ReSEM model for simulating maize water-carbon flux and yield in the HID.
• Analyze the interannual variability and spatial patterns of maize ET, yield, and WP in the HID.
• Quantify the relative contributions of ET and yield to WP to inform differentiated water-resource management strategies for irrigation districts.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Regional scale (Hetao Irrigation District)
• Temporal Scale: 2001-2024

Methodology and Data

• Models used: ReSEM, PML_V2, MODIS
• Data sources: Remote sensing datasets from MODIS and PML products, meteorological inputs from GLDAS, maize distribution data from CCD-Maize dataset

Main Results

• The ReSEM model outperformed the existing MODIS and PML_V2 products in simulating ET and GPP.
• A pronounced turning point around 2017 was identified for WP, with significant increases in ET, yield, and WP thereafter.
• Spatial distributions of mean annual ET, yield, and WP were markedly heterogeneous across the HID.

Contributions

• This study provides a robust framework for quantifying the spatiotemporal dynamics of crop water use and productivity.
• The results highlight the importance of considering the intrinsic coupling among stomatal conductance, photosynthesis, and transpiration in simulating ET and GPP.

Funding

• State Key Laboratory of Efficient Utilization of Agricultural Water Resources (Grant No. SKLEUAWR2018001)
• National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 51879205 and 51609204)

Citation

@article{Qu2026Transition,
  author = {Qu, Ziyuan and Wang, Xingwang and Zhang, Chenglong and Tan, Junwei and Huo, Zailin},
  title = {Transition toward increased maize water productivity in the Hetao Irrigation District in northwest China},
  journal = {Agricultural Water Management},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110815},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.agwat.2026.110815}
}