The effect of drip irrigation tape spacing and irrigation water depth on wheat yield and water productivity in Sanandaj county

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

1 Department of Water Sciences and Engineering, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

2 Department of Soil and Water Research, Kurdistan Agricultural and Natural Resources Research and Education Center, AREEO, Sanandaj, Iran

3 Department of Plant Production and Genetics, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Kurdistan, Sanandaj, Iran

10.22034/plant.2026.146730.1218

Abstract

Introduction: Water scarcity is the most critical constraint for agricultural sustainability in arid and semi-arid regions like Iran. Wheat (Triticum aestivum L.), as a strategic crop is dominate cultivated crop in Sanandaj county and requires efficient water management strategies to maximize yield while minimizing water consumption. Traditional irrigation methods for this crop in Sanandaj county suffer from low efficiency. Drip- tape irrigation system (T-Tape), have shown high potential for improving water productivity. The design of such systems, specifically drip-tapes spacing and the irrigation water depth for crops such as wheat plays a pivotal role in economic feasibility and agronomic performance. Despite its importance, there is limited knowledge regarding the optimal combination of drip-tape spacing and irrigation depth for wheat cultivation in Sanadaj County. This study aims to evaluate the interactive effects of different irrigation water depths and drip - tape spacing on the biological and straw yield, water productivity and economic efficiency of wheat in Sanandaj county.
Materials and Methods: This field experiment was conducted during the 2017–2018 cropping season at the Agricultural Research Station of Griezeh, Sanandaj, Iran (with geographical coordinates of 35°16' N, 47°1' E, and elevation of 1405 m A.S.L.). The region is characterized by a semi-arid climate with an average annual precipitation of 492 mm. The experiment was laid out as a split-plot design based on Randomized Complete Blocks with three replications. The treatments included two main factors of drip- tape Spacing (equal to 20 (D1), 40 (D2), 60 (D3), and 80 (D4) cm) and Irrigation Water Depth (equal to 60 (I1), 80 (I2), 100 (I3), and 120 (I4) % of the wheat water requirement). Soil properties and water quality parameters were measured prior to the experiment, confirming suitability for drip irrigation. At the end of the growing season, agronomical traits including grain and straw yield were measured. Furthermore, an economic analysis was performed based on benefit to cost ratio index to identify the most economically feasible configuration of the irrigation system.
Results: The results indicated that both drip-tape spacing and irrigation water depth significantly affected the grain yield and water productivity of wheat crop. The highest straw yields were observed in the treatment with the highest water application (equal to 120 % wheat water requirement) and the closest drip-tape spacing (equal to 20 cm). Conversely, the highest grain yield was recorded in the treatment with irrigation water depth equal to 100 % of wheat water requirement and the drip-tape spacing of 60 cm. Although, the irrigation water treatment of I4 (equal to 120% wheat water requirement) maximized biomass, it observed that over-irrigation Stimulated vegetative growth more than reproductive growth, which is not necessarily favorable for increasing of wheat grain yield. Increasing the drip-tapes spacing from 20 cm to 80 cm significantly reduced yields due to the decrease in the wetted soil volume available for roots. Statistical analysis of the benefit to cost ratio indicated that the highest value achieved in treatment I2D2 (with irrigation water depth of 80 % the crop water requirement and drip-tape spacing of 40 cm). Application of this treatment resulted in a 20 % water saving in irrigation water use.
Conclusion: Based on the integration of crop yield and economic indicators, an irrigation water depth equal to 80% of the wheat water requirement and a drip-tape spacing of 40 cm are recommended for wheat production under drip-tape irrigation in Sanandaj County. This combination, while achieving a desirable crop yield and maximum economic net revenue, results in a 20% saving in irrigation water consumption and a considerable increase in water productivity.

Keywords

References

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Plant Production and Genetics
Volume 7, Issue 2 - Serial Number 12
November 2026
Pages 287-300

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