Water Use Efficiency - Definition

and Concept - Methods to

Improve WUE – Increasing WUE
Under increased and reduced
yield conditions.
• The term “Water Use Efficiency" (WUE) the quantity
of water taken up by the crop during its life to
produce a unit quantity of output i.e., crop yield.
 Water Use Efficiency (WUE) & Indices

• An efficient irrigation system indicates effective

transfer of water from the source to the field with
minimum possible loss.

• The objective of the efficiency concept is to identify

the nature of water loss and to decide the type of
improvements in the system.
 1. Irrigation Efficiency
• The ratio or percentage of the irrigation water consumed by the
crop of an irrigated farm, field or project to the water delivered
from the source.
Wc
Ei = --------- x 100
Wr
where,
Ei = Irrigation Efficiency (%)
Wc = irrigation water consumed by crop during its growth in an
irrigation project.
Wr = water delivered from canals during the growth period of
crops.
In most irrigation projects, the Ei ranges between 12 to 34 %.
 2. Water Conveyance Efficiency
• It is the ratio between water delivered to the
irrigated plot and total quantity delivered at the
source.

Water delivered to the plot (Wp)

Ec = -------------------------------------------------- x 100
Water delivered from the source (Wr)

• It indicates the losses of water that occur while water

is conveyed from source to the point of utilisation.
• Water Ec is generally low;
• about 21% losses occur in earthen water courses.
 3. Water Application Efficiency
• It is the ratio between the quantity of water stored in
the root zone and the water delivered to the plot.

Water stored in the root zone (Ws)

• WAE (Ea) = ------------------------------------------- x 100
Water delivered to the plot (Wp)

• In general, water Ea decreases as the amount of water

during each irrigation increases.

• Water losses due to inefficient application in the field

vary from 28 to 50 %.
 4. Water Use Efficiency

• The proportion of water delivered and beneficially

used on the project, It is expressed in kg/ha cm (mm)
Wu
Eu = -------- x 100
Wd
Where,
• Eu = water use efficiency, per cent
• Wu = water beneficially used
• Wd = water delivered
• WUE is also defined as (i) crop water use efficiency
and (ii) field water use efficiency.
(a) Crop Water Use Efficiency: It is the ratio of yield of
crop (Y) to the amount of water depleted by crop for
evapotranspiration (ET).
Y
CWUE = ----
ET
where,
CWUE= Crop water use efficiency
Y = Crop yield
ET = Evapotranspiration
• CWUE is otherwise called consumptive water use efficiency. It
is the ratio of crop yield (Y) to the sum of the amount of water
taken and used for crop growth (G), evaporated from the soil
surface (E) and transpired through foliage (T) or consumptive
use (Cu)
Y
CWUE = -----------------
G+E+T
Where, (G + E + T) = Cu
Y
CWUE = ------
CU
It is expressed in kg/ha mm or kg/ha cm.
(b) Field Water Use Efficiency:

• It is the ratio of yield of crop (Y) to the total amount

of water used in the field.
Y
FWUE = -----
WR
Where,
FWUE= field water use efficiency
WR = water requirement
• WR including for growth (G), evaporation from the soil
surface (E), transpiration (T) and deep percolation loss (D).
Y
FWUE = --------------------
G+E+T+D

G + E + T + D = WR
• It is expressed in kg/ha/mm (or) kg/ha/cm
• Deep percolation is important for rice crop. For other
crops seepage is important.
• The CWUE is more of research value whereas the FWUE
has greater practical importance for planners and farmers.
 Water Use Efficiency of Crops

WR Grain Yield WUE

CROP (mm) (kg/ha) (kg/ha mm)
Rice 1200 4500 3.7
Sorghum 500 4500 9.0
Pearl millet 500 4000 8.0
Maize 625 5000 8.0
Groundnut 506 4616 9.2
Wheat 280 3534 12.6
Finger millet 310 4137 13.7
Factors affecting water use efficiency
 1 Genetic factor
• Plant species differ widely in their productivity i.e.,
crop yield and water use or ET.

• WUE of C4 plant such as maize, sorghum, sugarcane,

pearl millet, finger miller etc is higher (3.14 to 3.44
mg dry weight/g of water)

• when compared to C3 (1.49 to 1.59 mg dry weight/g

of water) such as pulses, oilseed crops, wheat,
barley, oats etc.
 1 Genetic factor cont.,
• Crop varieties also differ in WUE.

• HYV, hybrids, GM crops etc., due to their dwarfness,

response to water & fertilizer, pest & disease
resistance and high HI exhibit higher WUE

• As compared to traditional varieties characterized by

high vegetative growth, low HI, susceptible to
lodging, pests & diseases.
 2 Climatic factors
• Weather affects both crop yield and crop ET.

• The amount of solar radiation determines the rate of

photosynthesis and hence the potential yield.

• Other components viz., temperature, day length,

rainfall etc., determine the actual harvested yield.

• The lower the RH is, the greater will be the ETc.

• low RH in the atmosphere increases transpiration

without any corresponding increase in DMP and will
reduce WUE.
 2 Climatic factors cont.,

• Light and temperature that normally affect both

transpiration and DMP will either increase or
decrease.

• High wind velocity increase ETc without any

concurrent increase in DMP hence decrease WUE.
 3 Crop management factors

• a) Time of sowing: Timely sowing ensures optimal

temperatures, soil moisture availability and other soil
physical conditions favouring optimal crop growth and
development with greater ability to compete with
prevalent weed flora, hence increases WUE.

• b) Depth of sowing: Optimum depth of sowing favours

seedling emergence, vigour and finally crop yield,
hence improves WUE.
• c) Direction of sowing: North south row orientation
influences the interception and utilization of incident
solar radiation which in turn influences crop yield and
improves WUE as compared to east west direction of
row pattern.

• d) Plant population: Optimal plant population

promotes uniform & rapid development of crop
canopy without any competition for growth resources
viz., light, nutrients, water, CO2 etc., hence improves
WUE.
• e) Fertilization: Optimum nutrition under adequate
soil moisture increases crop yield, with a relatively
small increase in crop ET, therefore, markedly
improves WUE.

• f) Pests & diseases: Pests and diseases reduce crop

yield as well as WUE to varying degrees depending
upon the intensity of infestation.
• g) Irrigation method: Field water use efficiency in
general is higher with over head sprinkler,
microsprinkler and drip methods as compared to
furrow, border strip, check basin

• h) ET control measures: Use of mulches, anti-

transpirants, shelterbelts and elimination of weeds
etc., reduce water losses without any reduction in
crop yield, hence improve WUE.
 5. Water Storage Efficiency:

• It is the ratio between water stored in the root zone and

water needed in the root zone prior to irrigation.

Water stored in root zone during irrigation (Ws)

WSE (Es) = ---------------------------------------------------------------------x 100
Water needed in the root zone prior to irrigation (Wn)
 6. Water Distribution Efficiency
To evaluate the extent to which the water is uniformly
distributed is as follows:

(1-d) (1 - Average deviation)

Ed = ------------- x 100 = --------------------------------------X 100
D Average depth applied

where,
Ed = water distribution efficiency, per cent
d = average numerical deviation in depth of water stored from
average depth stored during irrigation
D = average depth of water stored during irrigation
 7. Consumptive Use Efficiency
• The ratio of consumptive water use by the crop of irrigated
farm or project and the irrigation water stored in the root zone
of the soil on the farm or the project area.

Wcu
Ecu = -----------x 100
Wd
where,
Ecu = Consumptive use efficiency, per cent
Wcu = Normal consumptive use of water
Wd = Net amount of water depleted from root zone soil

Ecu is useful in explaining the difference in crop response from

different methods of irrigation.
 Conjunctive Use of water
• Conjunctive use refers to “management of multiple water
resources in a coordinated operation such that the water
yield of the system over a period of time exceeds the sum
of yields of the individual components of the system”.

• It is estimated that in India about 11 million ha m of water

diverted from reservoirs is lost through seepage and
percolation from canal systems.

• This water can be extracted and conjunctively used for

irrigation in part of command areas to tide over the peak
demands and water shortages.
 1 Systems of conjunctive use

1. Canal water and Groundwater system

2. Rainfall and Irrigation water system

3. Saline water and Fresh water system

 2 Conjunctive uses – Advantages

• Use of ground water helps to reduce peak demands

of irrigation

• Supplemental irrigation from groundwater ensures

proper irrigation scheduling, raising multiple crops
and early sowing even if rainfall is delayed

• Increased water resources ensure supply to tail end

areas and areas of higher elevation
• Ground water exploitation lowers the water table
and reduces danger of water logging and consequent
wastage of water for leaching salts

• Due to Ground water exploitation, Surface and

subsurface outflows are minimized causing reduction
in peak run off and flood

• During periods of peak water demand, irrigation

requirement can be met by surface water sources,
so power saved can be diverted to other sectors
 Water Budgeting

• Water budgeting is the allocation of available water

according to the approved priorities i.e.

• For irrigation,
• Municipal use (drinking),
• Power generation,
• Industrial use etc.,

• Considering evaporation loss at storage, leakages in

the river and carry over storage to the next season.
Based on the Storage position
• The date of opening the canal,
• The irrigation system to be followed,
• The crops to be grown,
• Area to be irrigated and
• The number of irrigations may be decided.

• Water budgeting helps the irrigation engineers to

distribute the required quantity of water without
any under supply or over supply.

• In the case of farmers, it helps to plan the crops to

be grown based on the water resources available.
For efficient distribution of water, the following factors
are to be considered:
1. Storage I Reservoir
a. Capacity of the canal
b. Annual inflow into the reservoir
c. Rainfall and other factors
d. Storage in the reservoir at the commencement of first
irrigation water supply in the year
e. Storage in the reservoir at the end of Last irrigation
water supply in the year
f. Losses from reservoir due to evaporation, seepage and
percolation.
2. Annual irrigation release
a. Irrigation efficiency of the project
b. Soil type, topography and method of irrigation
c. Crop option
d. Area to be covered
e. Duty of water (area of the crop can be irrigated
with one cusec of water)
f. Crop water demand
g. Peak demand and critical period of crop growth
h. Interval of irrigation
3. Other uses except for irrigation as power generation,
drinking purpose, industrial uses etc.,