Irrigation Water Use Efficiency In Fruit Tree And Vegetable Production In Latakia Governorate During 2018-2023

Abstract

The study was conducted in 2024 with the aim of analyzing the stored water volumes in dams and the irrigated areas in Latakia Governorate, in addition to calculating the overall irrigation water productivity during the period 2018–2023. The results indicated that irrigated winter vegetables accounted for an average of 1% of the total irrigated production, while irrigated summer vegetables represented approximately 8%. Fruit trees constituted about 91% of the total irrigated production. The average volume of water consumed for irrigating winter vegetables was approximately 1.63 million cubic meters/year, whereas the volume consumed for irrigating summer vegetables was about 13.71 million cubic meters/year. As for fruit trees, the volume reached approximately 147.6 million cubic meters/year. The average water productivity per cubic meter of irrigation water was about 3.42 kilograms for winter vegetables, 4.25 kilograms for summer vegetables, and 4.45 kilograms for fruit trees.Citrus production alone accounted for approximately 98% of the total production of fruit trees, with an irrigation water consumption of about 144.6 million cubic meters/year, and an average productivity of approximately 4.49 kilograms per cubic meter. The average water quota per hectare was estimated at around 5,507.3 cubic meters per hectare per year.