How agricultural water use efficiency varies in China—A spatial-temporal analysis considering unexpected outputs

2022 ◽  
Vol 260 ◽  
pp. 107297
Author(s):  
Fengtai Zhang ◽  
Yuedong Xiao ◽  
Lei Gao ◽  
Dalai Ma ◽  
Ruiqi Su ◽  
...  
Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 632
Author(s):  
Weinan Lu ◽  
Wenxin Liu ◽  
Mengyang Hou ◽  
Yuanjie Deng ◽  
Yue Deng ◽  
...  

Improving agricultural water use efficiency (AWUE) is an important way to solve the shortage of water resources in arid and semi-arid regions. This study used the Super-DEA (data envelopment analysis) to measure the AWUE of 52 cities in Northwest China from 2000 to 2018. Based on spatial and temporal perspectives, it applied Exploratory Spatial Data Analysis (ESDA) to explore the dynamic evolution and regional differences of AWUE. A spatial econometric model was then used to analyze the main factors that influence the AWUE in Northwest China. The results showed firstly that the overall AWUE in Northwest China from 2000 to 2018 presented a steady upward trend. However, only a few cities achieved effective agricultural water usage by 2018, and the differences among cities were obvious. Secondly, AWUE showed an obvious spatial autocorrelation in Northwest China and showed significant high–high and low–low agglomeration characteristics. Thirdly, economic growth, urbanization development, and effective irrigation have significant, positive effects on AWUE, while per capita water resource has a significant, negative influence. Finally, when improving the AWUE in arid and semi-arid regions, plans should be formulated according to local conditions. The results of this study can provide new ideas on the study of AWUE in arid and semi-arid regions and provide references for the formulation of regional agricultural water resource utilization policies as well.


2002 ◽  
Vol 53 (1) ◽  
pp. 55 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tim R. McVicar ◽  
Guanglu Zhang ◽  
Andrew S. Bradford ◽  
Huixiao Wang ◽  
Warrick R. Dawes ◽  
...  

Increasing competition for water in China, due to industrialisation of its economy and urbanisation of its population, has led to the introduction of water-saving agricultural practices in an attempt to increase agricultural water use efficiency (Ag WUE). This study was conducted to assess whether changes in management practices have increased regional Ag WUE for a focus area covering 20% of the 300 000 km2 North China Plain (NCP). An ‘input–output’ definition of regional Ag WUE was used, where ‘input’ is the water available over the crop growing season and ‘output’ is grain yield. Regional databases of precipitation, irrigation, and yield from 1984 to 1996 were established in a Geographic Information System (GIS) to calculate winter wheat and summer corn Ag WUE on a county basis. For wheat, the average Ag WUE was 7.0 kg/ha.mm in 1984, whereas in 1996 it was 14.3 kg/ha.mm. For corn, Ag WUE increased from 9.0 kg/ha.mm in 1984 to 10.1 kg/ha.mm in 1996, although values >11.5 kg/ha.mm were obtained for both 1991 and 1992. Time series plots of the resulting Ag WUE, and its components, were generated to reveal spatial and temporal variability. Counties with a relatively high mean Ag WUE in combination with low year-to-year consistency have been identified as those with the highest potential for improving Ag WUE management. Total county water resources (WR) were also calculated for the time series, and county-basis normalisation of Ag WUE and WR also showed that there have been recent improvements in Ag WUE. For some counties in wet years, there may be an opportunity to plant larger areas of crop to increase county level Ag WUE. For the focus study site (and for the time series data available), it is most likely that recently introduced water-saving agricultural practices in the NCP are associated with improvements to Ag WUE.


2019 ◽  
Vol 657 ◽  
pp. 853-862 ◽  
Author(s):  
Benjamin M.C. Fischer ◽  
Stefano Manzoni ◽  
Laura Morillas ◽  
Monica Garcia ◽  
Mark S. Johnson ◽  
...  

Water ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 3266
Author(s):  
Peibing Song ◽  
Xiaoying Wang ◽  
Chao Wang ◽  
Mengtian Lu ◽  
Lei Chen ◽  
...  

Improving agricultural water use efficiency (WUE) and reducing the proportion of agricultural water consumption are of great significance for coping with the water crisis in the world, particularly in northwest China. However, considering the lack of WUE indicators for the selection and an evaluation of system construction in Xinjiang, the implementation of the strictest water resources management system in this province has been seriously restricted. In order to evaluate the agricultural water utilization situation of 14 administrative regions in Xinjiang, a synthetical evaluation model is proposed combining the analytic hierarchy process method and the fuzzy evaluation method. Firstly, an evaluation system composed of the target layer (i.e., water use efficiency), the criterion layer (i.e., water use situation, engineering measure, planting structure) and the index layer (e.g., utilization coefficient of irrigation water, weighting irrigation quota, grain production per cubic meter of irrigation water, etc.) is constructed. Secondly, a classification standard of evaluation indicators is put forward and a fuzzy evaluation model is introduced into calculate agricultural WUE. Finally, key evaluation indicators that lead to these administrative regions with very low WUE are identified, and discussions on improving agricultural WUE in Kashgar are made. The evaluation results of this study are beneficial for providing support for reforming agricultural water use and promoting sustainable agricultural development in Xinjiang.


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