Document Type : Original Article
Authors
1 Department of Soil Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University, Urmia, Iran
2 Department of soil sciences-faculty of agriculture-urrmia universit-urmia-iran
3 Water Eng., Faculty of Agriculture, Urmia University
Abstract
Sustainable agriculture will be achieved only when land is used, essentially based on soil and water capacity. Otherwise, agricultural lands will influenced by increasing degradation and erosion. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the land suitability of orchard (200 hectares) located on the southern Urmia plain (Darbrud soil series) and also provide a suitable irrigation model using CROPWAT considering irrigation water shortage and lack of adequate drainage for apples as a main crop in this area (%55). Ten years of climate data was collected, and the land index was evaluated by parametric method (square root method). Limitation in drainage status resulted in (S3w) for land subclass, while for climate and temperature suitability, the minimum average temperature during the month before harvest, reduced the subclass to S2. Moreover, CROPWAT model was used to estimate the efficiency of model for important horticultural crops under a proper-irrigation management in the study area through comparing the results of the model with those from the FAO model. The result of this study indicates that an excessive or over irrigation regime has occurred in the studied fields which have no positive effect on the crop yield or economic benefits. Providing irrigation projects based on a suitable water model will increase the water use efficiency.
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