Integrated assessment of physical and economic water productivity in irrigated agriculture of Northern Mexico

Abstract Sustainable water management is a critical challenge for irrigated agriculture, especially in arid and semi-arid regions where surface irrigation is often inefficient. This study evaluated physical water productivity (WPphys) and economic water productivity (WPecon) in a representative section of Irrigation District 017 in the Lagunera Region (DR-017), Mexico, to identify opportunities for improving irrigation water management. Crop yields and irrigation volumes were measured under field conditions and used to estimate irrigation application efficiency (AE), WPphys, and WPecon. Crop yields ranged from 1.5 to 29.5 t ha −1 , with watermelon and forage sorghum recording the highest average yields and walnut the lowest. Average AE was 54.8%, indicating that applied irrigation depths substantially exceeded estimated crop water requirements. WPphys ranged from 0.12 to 2.32 kg m −3 , with watermelon (2.32 kg m −3 ) and forage sorghum (2.23 kg m −3 ) recording the highest values. In contrast, cotton and walnut, despite their lower WPphys, showed the highest WPecon values, at 0.60 and 0.47 USD m −3 , respectively. Statistical analysis revealed significant differences in WPecon among crops ( p < 0.001). The results demonstrate a divergence between WPphys and WPecon, highlighting the importance of considering both indicators in irrigation management decisions. This study provides field-based evidence at the irrigation-module scale to support more efficient and sustainable water management in water-scarce agricultural regions.