Somayeh et al. (2026) A process-based framework for smart irrigation water allocation using water productivity and crop sensitivity

Identification

• Journal: Scientific Reports
• Year: 2026
• Date: 2026-09-26
• Authors: Emami Somayeh, Hossein Dehghanisanij
• DOI: 10.1038/s41598-026-72760-z

Research Groups

• Agricultural Engineering Research Institute, Agricultural Research, Education and Extension Organization, Karaj, Alborz, Iran.

Short Summary

The study develops a process-based decision-support framework for smart irrigation water allocation that optimizes water use by integrating crop sensitivity, water productivity, and climate-driven evapotranspiration changes.

Objective

• To create a framework for smart irrigation water allocation that balances crop yield preservation and water savings under varying climate conditions and irrigation levels in semi-arid regions.

Study Configuration

• Spatial Scale: Two semi-arid regions in Iran: the Lake Urmia Basin and the Alborz Basin.
• Temporal Scale: Not explicitly specified (process-based evaluation).

Methodology and Data

• Models used: A process-based decision-support framework incorporating three newly developed indices: Climate Amplification Index (CAI), Irrigation Dependency Index (IDI), and Allocation Priority Index (API).
• Data sources: Regional climate and crop data for three specific crops (wheat, tomato, and apple) under three irrigation scenarios (100%, 80%, and 60% of full requirement).

Main Results

• Warmer climate conditions led to a 12–14% increase in crop evapotranspiration and a subsequent reduction in water productivity (WP).
• Moderate deficit irrigation (80% of full requirement) provided the optimal trade-off between maintaining crop yields and achieving water savings.
• Severe deficit irrigation (60% of full requirement) resulted in substantial reductions in crop yield.
• The integration of productivity and sensitivity indices allows for more efficient and resilient water allocation under climate variability.

Contributions

• Provides a transferable, process-based decision-support approach for irrigation management that can be adapted to different climates and cropping systems via local calibration.
• Introduces specific indices (CAI, IDI, API) to quantify climate impact and prioritize water allocation.

Funding

• Iran National Science Foundation (INSF), project No. 4040570.

Citation

@article{Somayeh2026processbased,
  author = {Somayeh, Emami and Dehghanisanij, Hossein},
  title = {A process-based framework for smart irrigation water allocation using water productivity and crop sensitivity},
  journal = {Scientific Reports},
  year = {2026},
  doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-72760-z},
  url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-72760-z}
}