An Egyptian-international team published a pioneering scientific study in the international journal “Agricultural Water Management“, classified in the Q1 category, offering innovative solutions to increase wheat productivity and water use efficiency in Egypt with the aim of enhancing national food security, through the research project “Developing Adaptation Strategies to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change on Wheat Diseases and Food Production in Egypt.
” The study relied on an advanced computer model supported by field data and focused on three wheat varieties: Sakha94, Shandweel1, and Sids1, with the aim of identifying the best irrigation strategies and the most suitable varieties.
The study showed that precise irrigation management directly affects yield and water use efficiency. Frequent irrigation using 50% of the water led to an increase in wheat yield of up to 22%, especially for Sakha94 variety.
Additionally, reduced irrigation strategies increased water use efficiency, with Shandweel1 and Sids1 achieving an increase of 15% to 20% under water scarcity.
It also indicated that higher carbon dioxide concentration contributes to a slight yield increase of about 5%, enhancing wheat’s ability to adapt to future climate changes. Researchers warned that an increase in temperatures by 3°C could reduce these benefits and shorten growth periods, especially for sensitive varieties such as Sakha94.
They recommended the need to develop site-specific irrigation and cultivation strategies to ensure sustainable wheat production in water-limited areas.
The research team from Egypt:-
– Agricultural Research Center:
Dr. Ahmed Kheir
(Soil, Water and Environment Research Institute, and Julius Kühn Institute in Germany) led the research from the draft writing stage through review to publication, reviewed the DSSAT model scenarios, and analyzed data using R and Python programming languages, in addition to writing the research and preparing it for publication.
Dr. Maha Lotfy Elsayed
(Department of Agrometeorological Research, Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate). She conducted the calibration, validation, and application of the mathematical model (DSSAT) to study the effects of drought, high temperature, and increased carbon dioxide concentration on wheat yield and water productivity.
Dr. Ahmed Fawzy Elkot
(Wheat Research Department, Field Crops Research Institute) is the principal researcher of the project “Improving Drought Tolerance in Egyptian Wheat Varieties Using Genes Responsible for Plant Height in Wheat,” funded by the Science, Technology, and Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) in Egypt.
Dr. Samir Mahmoud Saleh
(Department of Agrometeorological Research, Central Laboratory for Agricultural Climate) who prepared, refined, and provided meteorological data that served the study.
Dr. Tahani Nour El-Din
(Department of Water and Field Irrigation Research, Land, Water and Environment Research Institute) who, together with the agricultural modeling team, carried out the calibration, validation, and application of the mathematical model (DSSAT).
From the Faculty of Agriculture, Mansoura University:
Dr. Yasser Shabana
(Professor in the Department of Plant Pathology, member of the National Council for Agricultural and Food Research at the Academy of Scientific Research and Technology, and principal investigator of the project “Developing Adaptation Strategies to Mitigate the Impacts of Climate Change on Wheat and Corn Diseases and Food Production in Egypt” funded by the Science, Technology, and Innovation Funding Authority (STDF) in Egypt).
And from the international organizations:–
Dr. Bruce Fitt Dr. Aiming Qi Dr. Benjamin Richard
Agriculture, Food and Environment Research Center – University of Hertfordshire, United Kingdom, through the project ‘Developing Adaptation Strategies to Mitigate the Effects of Climate Change on Wheat and Maize Diseases and Food Production in Egypt,’ funded by the British Council in the United Kingdom.
