9
1.7 Research Question
One might wonder whether application of deficit irrigation can contribute in increasing food availability. Although application of deficit irrigation involves loss in crop
productivity, it also secures water to be use in cultivating more lands. However, on
national level, will the production resulted from the new added area could compensate the loss attained by application of deficit irrigation. In this book, we answer the
above question and shed the light on the role of deficit irrigation in securing food
under water scarcity. We assessed the potential effect of application of deficit irrigation to four winter crops grown in Egypt, namely Egyptian clover, sugar beet, onion
and tomato. These four crops have a surplus in their production. We also assessed
possibility of saving an amount of irrigation water from these four crops and use it
to cultivate new areas with wheat. Wheat is an important crop in Egyptian daily diet
and has the major food production-consumption. We tested weather application of
deficit irrigation to wheat cultivated on raised beds will increase its national production, in addition to implementing intercropping systems for wheat with other crops
and used the saved water from the suggested four crops could to irrigate new areas
with wheat will increase its production and reduce its food gap.
We also tested whether deficit irrigation application, as well as the other suggested practices could positively contribute in reducing the loss in wheat production
under the impact of climate change in 2030.
1.8 Conclusion
There is an urgent need for effective management of water resources used in agriculture to overcome the prevailing situation of water scarcity. Application of deficit
irrigation practice is good candidate to attain sustainable use of water resources
without sacrificing food production.
References
Abd El-Megeed M, El-Kallawy WH, Osman MA (2016) Performance of some Egyptian rice
varieties for some agronomical and physiological traits. J Agric Res Kafr El-Sheikh Univ
42(1):127–135
Abou Zeid K (2002) Egypt and the world water goals, Egypt statement in the world summit for
sustainable development and beyond, Johannesburg, South Africa
Alkitkat H (2017) Projections of the Egyptian population. In: Future of food gaps in Egypt: obstacles and opportunities. Springer. ISBN978-3-319-46942-3.
Allen RS, Tilbrook K, Warden AC, Campbell PC, Rolland V, Singh SP, Wood CC (2017) Expression
of 16 nitrogenase proteins within the plant mitochondrial matrix. Front Plant Sci 8:287. https://
doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00287
1 Water Scarcity Leads to Food Insecurity
1.7 Research Question
One might wonder whether application of deficit irrigation can contribute in increasing food availability. Although application of deficit irrigation involves loss in crop
productivity, it also secures water to be use in cultivating more lands. However, on
national level, will the production resulted from the new added area could compensate the loss attained by application of deficit irrigation. In this book, we answer the
above question and shed the light on the role of deficit irrigation in securing food
under water scarcity. We assessed the potential effect of application of deficit irrigation to four winter crops grown in Egypt, namely Egyptian clover, sugar beet, onion
and tomato. These four crops have a surplus in their production. We also assessed
possibility of saving an amount of irrigation water from these four crops and use it
to cultivate new areas with wheat. Wheat is an important crop in Egyptian daily diet
and has the major food production-consumption. We tested weather application of
deficit irrigation to wheat cultivated on raised beds will increase its national production, in addition to implementing intercropping systems for wheat with other crops
and used the saved water from the suggested four crops could to irrigate new areas
with wheat will increase its production and reduce its food gap.
We also tested whether deficit irrigation application, as well as the other suggested practices could positively contribute in reducing the loss in wheat production
under the impact of climate change in 2030.
1.8 Conclusion
There is an urgent need for effective management of water resources used in agriculture to overcome the prevailing situation of water scarcity. Application of deficit
irrigation practice is good candidate to attain sustainable use of water resources
without sacrificing food production.
References
Abd El-Megeed M, El-Kallawy WH, Osman MA (2016) Performance of some Egyptian rice
varieties for some agronomical and physiological traits. J Agric Res Kafr El-Sheikh Univ
42(1):127–135
Abou Zeid K (2002) Egypt and the world water goals, Egypt statement in the world summit for
sustainable development and beyond, Johannesburg, South Africa
Alkitkat H (2017) Projections of the Egyptian population. In: Future of food gaps in Egypt: obstacles and opportunities. Springer. ISBN978-3-319-46942-3.
Allen RS, Tilbrook K, Warden AC, Campbell PC, Rolland V, Singh SP, Wood CC (2017) Expression
of 16 nitrogenase proteins within the plant mitochondrial matrix. Front Plant Sci 8:287. https://
doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.00287
1 Water Scarcity Leads to Food Insecurity