Impact of Using Subsurface Water Retention Technology on Improving Water Use Efficiency of Furrow Irrigation System

Abstract

Evaluation was carried out on the existing furrow irrigation system located in an open agricultural field within Hor Rajabh Township, south of Baghdad, Iraq (latitude: 33°09’ N, longitude: 44°24’ E). Two plots were chosen for comparison: treatment plot T1, which used subsurface water retention technology (SWRT) with a furrow irrigation system. While the treatment plot T2 was done by using a furrow irrigation procedure without SWRT. A comparison between the two treatment plots was carried out to study the efficiency of the applied water on crop yield. In terms of agricultural productivity and water use efficiency, plot T1 outperformed plot T2, according to the study’s final findings. Compared with plot T2, the rate of increase in the efficiency of water and crop yield were found to be 44.9% and 14.2%, respectively. Additionally, compared to plot T1, the rate of increase in the applied water in plot T2 was 26.8%. The efficiency of plot T1 is attributed to the usage of SWRT membranes beneath the plant’s root zone, which helped conserve water and nutrients, which affected crop yield and water consumption.