**6. Summary and conclusions**

Soil and water salinization are the most serious hindering factors on the improvement of WP, enhancement of agricultural production, and sustainability of natural resources in Iran and especially in L-KRB. The existence of vast areas with saline sodic conditions in various parts of the country especially in L-KRB reflects the fact that there are many factors affecting this phenomenon, and it should pay enough attention.

The soil texture in the area is mainly heavy textured and with low hydraulic conductivity. Natural drainage is very low, and the potentials for soil waterlogging followed by salinity hazard are high. Consequently agricultural production is suboptimal and crop WPs are low. Under these conditions installation of drainage networks may seem as a rapid solution for the removal of salinity and waterlogging problems, but simple and cost-effective water and crop managerial measures also have their own importance and merits.

The government's huge investments in the expansion of irrigation networks in the L-KRB and future increase on applied water for agricultural activities will cause extreme changes in the surface and groundwater hydrology and in overall climatic parameters of the region. It is expected that without consideration of required arrangements, e.g., development of drainage networks and on-farm improvements activities, the problems of land salinity and waterlogging will be intensified in the future.

**191**

*Water Productivity Improvement Under Salinity Conditions: Case Study of the Saline Areas…*

However, the trend of previous activities in this regard indicates that the rate of expansion of drainage networks is low. Therefore immediate actions are required for the mitigation of salinity and waterlogging hazards and for the improvement of crop WP in the L-KRB. At current condition this could be tackled by soil, water, and crop management activities such as assessment of current WP values, recognition of sources of inefficiencies on improvement of crop WPs, improvement of irrigation efficiencies, more use of salt-tolerant crop varieties, land leveling, changing of irrigation methods, changes in cropping patterns, and other on-farm

Waterlogging and soil salinity are the major threats to WP and sustainable agricultural production in the L-KRB. These problems are somehow because of physical characteristics of the region (heavy soil texture, high evaporation demand, low soil hydraulic gradient, etc.) but are mainly man-made problems. These challenging issues could be managed by proper measures and approaches including infrastructure activities (hardware) and to a greater extent by proper on-farm water manage-

Hardware measures may include completion of drainage networks and comple-

tion of farm canals (tertiary-level networks). The Ministry of Energy recently has emphasized this critical need in the government body in an attempt to obtain enough authority and resources to complete the irrigation and drainage networks in

Software measures include application of new approaches and tools such as the use of proper models relevant to the study of the issues at plant, farm, system, and basin levels, preparation and implementation of comprehensive plans at the basin level, conducting detailed or semi-detailed studies at the basin level and development of well-defined strategies and policies for water management in the Khuzestan province, and especially in the L-KRB, where two thirds of the country's

Recently the government has received the importance of water users and basin stakeholder participation in better management of water. Hence Water User Association (WUA) is developing irrigation networks, and the work is in process. However, the levels of their success to achieve their goals and their effects on WP improvement and performance of the irrigation networks vary much and need

Water scarcity and soil and water salinities in the arid regions such as L-KRB and all of the aforementioned issues suggest that the water in the agricultural sector should be consumed efficiently. The most important way to achieve this objective,

Research studies related to water table management, soil salinity control, irrigation water management, selection of suitable crop varieties, and improved agronomic practices will help to improve agricultural WP and farmer's livelihoods in the L-KRB. Waterlogging and resource salinity are major threats to WP enhancement and sustainable agricultural production in the L-KRB. Therefore sound and adaptive measures and solutions are required for this region. The KRB reflects in many aspects the problems and challenges associated with the water management and crop production in other arid to semiarid regions of the world. Therefore, it was intended by the CPWF to link the work studies in KRB with the Euphrates and Amu Darya river basins, which have been postponed to the next phase of the CGIAR

Overall, soil salinity and waterlogging, in addition to the other sources of inefficiencies in agricultural WP improvements, are the major limiting factors in the L-KRB. The causes to these hindering factors are somewhat because of physical characteristics of the region, but they are mainly man-made problems which could

especially in the L-KRB, is the improvement of agricultural WP index.

the country and in parallel to the Ministry of Agriculture.

*DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86891*

improvement activities.

ment (software) measures.

water recourses flows at this province.

more research and evaluations in this regard.

Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF).

#### *Water Productivity Improvement Under Salinity Conditions: Case Study of the Saline Areas… DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86891*

However, the trend of previous activities in this regard indicates that the rate of expansion of drainage networks is low. Therefore immediate actions are required for the mitigation of salinity and waterlogging hazards and for the improvement of crop WP in the L-KRB. At current condition this could be tackled by soil, water, and crop management activities such as assessment of current WP values, recognition of sources of inefficiencies on improvement of crop WPs, improvement of irrigation efficiencies, more use of salt-tolerant crop varieties, land leveling, changing of irrigation methods, changes in cropping patterns, and other on-farm improvement activities.

Waterlogging and soil salinity are the major threats to WP and sustainable agricultural production in the L-KRB. These problems are somehow because of physical characteristics of the region (heavy soil texture, high evaporation demand, low soil hydraulic gradient, etc.) but are mainly man-made problems. These challenging issues could be managed by proper measures and approaches including infrastructure activities (hardware) and to a greater extent by proper on-farm water management (software) measures.

Hardware measures may include completion of drainage networks and completion of farm canals (tertiary-level networks). The Ministry of Energy recently has emphasized this critical need in the government body in an attempt to obtain enough authority and resources to complete the irrigation and drainage networks in the country and in parallel to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Software measures include application of new approaches and tools such as the use of proper models relevant to the study of the issues at plant, farm, system, and basin levels, preparation and implementation of comprehensive plans at the basin level, conducting detailed or semi-detailed studies at the basin level and development of well-defined strategies and policies for water management in the Khuzestan province, and especially in the L-KRB, where two thirds of the country's water recourses flows at this province.

Recently the government has received the importance of water users and basin stakeholder participation in better management of water. Hence Water User Association (WUA) is developing irrigation networks, and the work is in process. However, the levels of their success to achieve their goals and their effects on WP improvement and performance of the irrigation networks vary much and need more research and evaluations in this regard.

Water scarcity and soil and water salinities in the arid regions such as L-KRB and all of the aforementioned issues suggest that the water in the agricultural sector should be consumed efficiently. The most important way to achieve this objective, especially in the L-KRB, is the improvement of agricultural WP index.

Research studies related to water table management, soil salinity control, irrigation water management, selection of suitable crop varieties, and improved agronomic practices will help to improve agricultural WP and farmer's livelihoods in the L-KRB. Waterlogging and resource salinity are major threats to WP enhancement and sustainable agricultural production in the L-KRB. Therefore sound and adaptive measures and solutions are required for this region. The KRB reflects in many aspects the problems and challenges associated with the water management and crop production in other arid to semiarid regions of the world. Therefore, it was intended by the CPWF to link the work studies in KRB with the Euphrates and Amu Darya river basins, which have been postponed to the next phase of the CGIAR Challenge Program on Water and Food (CPWF).

Overall, soil salinity and waterlogging, in addition to the other sources of inefficiencies in agricultural WP improvements, are the major limiting factors in the L-KRB. The causes to these hindering factors are somewhat because of physical characteristics of the region, but they are mainly man-made problems which could

*Multifunctionality and Impacts of Organic and Conventional Agriculture*

**Sowing method Seed** 

Centrifugal (350 kg/ha)

Centrifugal (250 kg/ha)

Barzegar-e Hamedani (180 kg/ ha)

> Centrifugal (250 kg/ha)

Barzegar-e Hamedani (180 kg/ ha)

• Basin irrigation method requires less control on flow considering high rate of variation in channel discharges and high rate of flow control requirements.

**consumption rate (kg/ha)**

Taka (180 kg/ha) 180 262 60

Taka (180 kg/ha) 180 332 75

**Number of shrub in m2**

180 286 65

180 353 80

350 247 34 1953

250 341 56 2308

250 387 63 2483

**Sprouting percentage (%)**

**Yield (kg/ ha)**

• Basin irrigation method has the advantage of providing pre-cultivation leaching opportunities, considering high levels of salinity and its variation in the

Because of 50% reduction in seed consumption, the high rate of seed germination, and better flow of water, the use of seed drill machine (Taka type) or the

Soil and water salinization are the most serious hindering factors on the improvement of WP, enhancement of agricultural production, and sustainability of natural resources in Iran and especially in L-KRB. The existence of vast areas with saline sodic conditions in various parts of the country especially in L-KRB reflects the fact that there are many factors affecting this phenomenon, and it should pay enough attention. The soil texture in the area is mainly heavy textured and with low hydraulic conductivity. Natural drainage is very low, and the potentials for soil waterlogging followed by salinity hazard are high. Consequently agricultural production is suboptimal and crop WPs are low. Under these conditions installation of drainage networks may seem as a rapid solution for the removal of salinity and waterlogging problems, but simple and cost-effective water and crop managerial measures also

The government's huge investments in the expansion of irrigation networks in the L-KRB and future increase on applied water for agricultural activities will cause extreme changes in the surface and groundwater hydrology and in overall climatic parameters of the region. It is expected that without consideration of required arrangements, e.g., development of drainage networks and on-farm improvements activities, the problems of land salinity and waterlogging will be intensified in the future.

three-row bed seeder (Barzegar-e Hamedani type) is recommended.

*Seed consumption, number of shrub, and sprouting percentage of the treatments [19].*

wheat farms of the area.

**Irrigation method**

Basin-border (farmer)

Optimum border

Optimum basin

**Table 5.**

**6. Summary and conclusions**

have their own importance and merits.

**190**

be managed easily with low costs using proper measures and approaches including infrastructure activities (hardware) and to a greater extent by the water and crop management (software) measures.
