The Effect of Drip vs Hydroponic Irrigation Systems on Water Saving in Dry Regions

The limited availability of water resources in arid and semi-arid regions, compounded by the adverse effects of climate change, necessitates the adoption of efficient and sustainable irrigation strategies to optimize agricultural productivity.The objective of this study was to compare the performance of drip irrigation and hydroponic systems in terms of water use efficiency (WUE), crop yield, plant growth and nutrient management in arid regions of Jordan.The WUE of the hydroponic system was significantly higher (61.3kg/m) than that of drip irrigation (18.9kg/m), and the hydroponic system yielded slightly higher crop production (9.2kg/m).In terms of vegetative growth, the hydroponic system increased plant height (92.7cm) and leaf area (1,450cm/plant) due to its ability to precisely deliver water and nutrients.Water management under hydroponic systems -including pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and nutrient concentrations-is highly efficient.Under the drip irrigation system, the soil moisture was maintained at proper levels but did not use water and nutrition optimally, especially in dry regions, which faced unfavorable environmental conditions including high temperature (exceeding 28.5C), low humidity (45.0%), and intense solar radiation (22.3MJ/m/day) in summer seasons.Although hydroponics demonstrates the highest watersaving potential and crop performance, its high initial costs and technical expertise requirements may hinder its mass adoption.Nevertheless, drip irrigation is still a viable and cost-effective alternative to conventional farming systems.These results highlight the importance of implementing irrigation practices tailored to specific contexts to improve WUE and agricultural sustainability in dry regions.