viii
namely, water scarcity induces water stress, deficit irrigation and water scarcity,
climate change, water scarcity and food security, as well as climate change and
agricultural soil.
In Chap. 2, we tackled some of the concepts and definitions used in application
of deficit irrigation instead of full irrigation as a technology aims at conserving
irrigation water. Both water use efficiency and water productivity are important
estimators in the assessment of the effect of deficit irrigation. This chapter also
reviewed deficit irrigation strategies, which consist of sustain deficit irrigation, regulated deficit irrigation (stage-based and partial root zone irrigation), and subsurface drip irrigation. The hidden role of intercropping systems in irrigation water
conservation was also discussed.
Chapter 3 provided an overview of the situation of Egypt with respect to its natural resources. It discussed the climate of Egypt and its relation to the growing season
of cultivated crops and water requirements of these crops. It also presented the
quantity of water resources, the management of irrigation water, and irrigated agriculture, as well as its food production, and reviewed soil resources in Egypt and
population pressure on land and water resources. This chapter also tackled the issue
of food gaps in Egypt. In addition, it reviewed the previous research done on the
application of deficit irrigation to monocrops and to intercropping systems.
Chapter 4 provides quantification of the effect of the application of deficit irrigation to Egyptian clover and sugar beet cultivated on raised beds to reduce the amount
of applied water to raised beds to be lower than full irrigation. Five production
alternatives were quantified on governorate level, namely, traditional cultivation,
raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, calculation of production
without investing the saved water in adding new area, and calculation of production
with investing the saved water in adding new area. Water productivity was calculated under all the suggested alternatives.
In Chap. 5, an assessment of the potential effects of applying deficit irrigation to
onion and tomato grown on raised beds on its production was done. Five production
alternatives were quantified on governorate level, namely, traditional cultivation,
raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, calculation of production
without investing the saved water in adding new area, and calculation of production
with investing the saved water in adding new area. In all alternatives, water productivity was calculated.
Chapter 6 tested whether implementing different production alternatives will
contribute in increasing wheat national production and increase its self-sufficiency
ratio. Data on the cultivated area and productivity of wheat were collected for both
old and new lands on governorate level, and weather data in 2017 and water requirements were calculated. Also, Egyptian population data and data on the cultivated
area of winter tomato, sugar beet, cotton, fruit trees, and sugarcane were collected.
Five production alternatives were quantified on governorate level, namely, traditional cultivation, raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, implementing intercropping systems with wheat, and using the saved water from
Preface
namely, water scarcity induces water stress, deficit irrigation and water scarcity,
climate change, water scarcity and food security, as well as climate change and
agricultural soil.
In Chap. 2, we tackled some of the concepts and definitions used in application
of deficit irrigation instead of full irrigation as a technology aims at conserving
irrigation water. Both water use efficiency and water productivity are important
estimators in the assessment of the effect of deficit irrigation. This chapter also
reviewed deficit irrigation strategies, which consist of sustain deficit irrigation, regulated deficit irrigation (stage-based and partial root zone irrigation), and subsurface drip irrigation. The hidden role of intercropping systems in irrigation water
conservation was also discussed.
Chapter 3 provided an overview of the situation of Egypt with respect to its natural resources. It discussed the climate of Egypt and its relation to the growing season
of cultivated crops and water requirements of these crops. It also presented the
quantity of water resources, the management of irrigation water, and irrigated agriculture, as well as its food production, and reviewed soil resources in Egypt and
population pressure on land and water resources. This chapter also tackled the issue
of food gaps in Egypt. In addition, it reviewed the previous research done on the
application of deficit irrigation to monocrops and to intercropping systems.
Chapter 4 provides quantification of the effect of the application of deficit irrigation to Egyptian clover and sugar beet cultivated on raised beds to reduce the amount
of applied water to raised beds to be lower than full irrigation. Five production
alternatives were quantified on governorate level, namely, traditional cultivation,
raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, calculation of production
without investing the saved water in adding new area, and calculation of production
with investing the saved water in adding new area. Water productivity was calculated under all the suggested alternatives.
In Chap. 5, an assessment of the potential effects of applying deficit irrigation to
onion and tomato grown on raised beds on its production was done. Five production
alternatives were quantified on governorate level, namely, traditional cultivation,
raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, calculation of production
without investing the saved water in adding new area, and calculation of production
with investing the saved water in adding new area. In all alternatives, water productivity was calculated.
Chapter 6 tested whether implementing different production alternatives will
contribute in increasing wheat national production and increase its self-sufficiency
ratio. Data on the cultivated area and productivity of wheat were collected for both
old and new lands on governorate level, and weather data in 2017 and water requirements were calculated. Also, Egyptian population data and data on the cultivated
area of winter tomato, sugar beet, cotton, fruit trees, and sugarcane were collected.
Five production alternatives were quantified on governorate level, namely, traditional cultivation, raised beds cultivation, application of deficit irrigation, implementing intercropping systems with wheat, and using the saved water from
Preface