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Abstract
Groundwater in most parts of the world is an important source of agricultural water supply for food production. Soil salinization, however, threatens groundwater quality and may cause irreparable damage to agricultural land. A key to tackling this threat is to analyze the link between agricultural crop water requirements and groundwater quality. This study aimed to investigate salinity effects on groundwater, identify vulnerable areas to salinity, and examine factors affecting salinity using hydrogeological parameters for the important Ghaemshahr-Juybar aquifer in Iran. Scenarios for cropping patterns and related water requirements were developed to investigate their effect on the salinization vulnerability. The results showed that by replacing 5%, 12%, and 25% of rice-cultivating area in the vulnerable zones with cultivation of oilseeds, cereals, or vegetables, the vulnerable areas decreased to 32%, 21%, and 9%, respectively. The results can be used to better manage water resources for agricultural production in view of salinity vulnerability.
Read more about Hossein Heshemi and Ronny Berndtsson