Akademik Veri Yönetim Sistemi
Irrigation Science, cilt.44, sa.1, 2026 (SCI-Expanded, Scopus)
The concept of water footprint (WF) has become an important indicator of agricultural water use efficiency, especially in semi-arid regions where water scarcity threatens sustainable crop production. Sorghum × Sudangrass (SSG) hybrid is increasingly grown in these environments for its drought tolerance and high biomass yield. However, the influence of irrigation strategies on the balance between blue and green WF components remains insufficiently understood. This study aimed to assess the WF of SSG under different irrigation regimes by integrating field-based measurements with CROPWAT model simulations. Experiments conducted in Konya Province, Türkiye, during the 2021 and 2022 cropping seasons showed that CROPWAT predictions of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) generally agreed with observed values, though some discrepancies appeared under lower irrigation levels. Over the two-year period, measured blue WF values for irrigation treatments of 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25% were 4950, 3825, 2700, and 1575 m³ ha−¹, respectively, compared with CROPWAT estimates of 5828, 5000, 4052, and 2999 m³ ha−¹. Measured green WF values, for these irrigation treatments, were 774, 832, 1000, and 1148 m³ ha−¹, while the model predicted 342, 359, 352, and 355.5 m³ ha−¹. Results indicate that reducing irrigation decreases blue WF while increasing green WF. These findings highlight the critical role of irrigation management in shaping WF dynamics and demonstrate the notable temporal variability observed across treatments. The close agreement between field observations and CROPWAT outputs further supports the model’s reliability for WF estimation. Overall, the study provides practical guidance for optimizing water use under deficit irrigation and underscores the CROPWAT’s value as a decision-support tool for agricultural water management in semi-arid regions.