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This research was supported by the Department of Climate Action, Food and Rural Agenda (DACC) of the government of Catalonia, under the framework of drought during 2023. In addition, projects ET4DROUGHT (No. PID2021-127345OR-C31) and DIGISPAC (TED2021-131237B-C21) both funded by the Spanish Research Agency of the Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN-AEI) of Spain, also contributed with this research. We also extend our gratitude to the Servei Meteorologic de Catalunya (SMC) , particularly Vicent Altava, for providing us with the high-resolution precipitation maps.

Analysis of institutional authors

Bellvert, JoaquimCorresponding AuthorPamies-Sans, MagíAuthorCasadesús, JaumeAuthorGirona, JoanAuthor
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Evaluating the impact of drought and water restrictions on agricultural production in irrigated areas through crop water productivity functions and a remote sensing-based evapotranspiration model

Publicated to:Agricultural Water Management. 309 109319- - 2025-03-31 309(), DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109319

Authors: Bellvert, Joaquim; Pamies-Sans, Magi; Casadesus, Jaume; Girona, Joan

Affiliations

Inst Agrifood Res & Technol IRTA, Efficient Use Water Agr Program, Fruitctr, Parc Agrobiotech, Lleida 25003, Spain - Author

Abstract

In Mediterranean regions, climate change is leading to reduced precipitation, along with more frequent and severe droughts, and prolonged periods of water scarcity. In this context, as reservoir levels drop dramatically, some irrigated agricultural areas are compelled to impose water restrictions on farmers to enhance efficiency and protect crops. This study aims to evaluate the impact of varying levels of water restrictions on crop productivity across different crops, taking into account water allocation rights and the irrigation management practices of each irrigation district. Since crop yield is closely linked to the water used (crop actual evapotranspiration, ETcact), this study proposes a novel approach based on using crop water productivity functions and a remote sensing-based surface energy balance model to spatially estimate ETcact. The research was conducted across fourteen irrigation districts in Lleida and Girona, Spain, simulating six scenarios with different levels of precipitation and water rights reductions. The findings showed that reduced water availability significantly negatively affected both simulated evapotranspiration and crop yields across all districts, with variations between districts and crops. On average, yield reductions reached up to 18 % in Lleida and 16 % in Girona under the least restrictive scenarios, while more severe restrictions caused decreases of 48 % and 28 %, respectively. This approach offers valuable insights for water management agencies regarding the effects of water restrictions on crop yield losses, enabling them to make more informed decisions. Incorporating this methodology into emergency drought management plans is essential for fostering resilience in a changing climate.

Keywords
Energy-balanceEvapotranspirationField-scaleGrowtHeat-fluxIrrigation districtMaize yieldRegulated deficit irrigationRemote sensingSimulationsStressVegetationWater shortagWinter-wheatYieldYield response

Quality index

Bibliometric impact. Analysis of the contribution and dissemination channel

The work has been published in the journal Agricultural Water Management due to its progression and the good impact it has achieved in recent years, according to the agency WoS (JCR), it has become a reference in its field. In the year of publication of the work, 2025, it was in position 8/128, thus managing to position itself as a Q1 (Primer Cuartil), in the category Water Resources. Notably, the journal is positioned above the 90th percentile.

Impact and social visibility

From the perspective of influence or social adoption, and based on metrics associated with mentions and interactions provided by agencies specializing in calculating the so-called "Alternative or Social Metrics," we can highlight as of 2025-04-24:

  • The use, from an academic perspective evidenced by the Altmetric agency indicator referring to aggregations made by the personal bibliographic manager Mendeley, gives us a total of: 24.
  • The use of this contribution in bookmarks, code forks, additions to favorite lists for recurrent reading, as well as general views, indicates that someone is using the publication as a basis for their current work. This may be a notable indicator of future more formal and academic citations. This claim is supported by the result of the "Capture" indicator, which yields a total of: 16 (PlumX).

With a more dissemination-oriented intent and targeting more general audiences, we can observe other more global scores such as:

  • The Total Score from Altmetric: 2.7.
  • The number of mentions on the social network X (formerly Twitter): 3 (Altmetric).

It is essential to present evidence supporting full alignment with institutional principles and guidelines on Open Science and the Conservation and Dissemination of Intellectual Heritage. A clear example of this is:

  • The work has been submitted to a journal whose editorial policy allows open Open Access publication.
  • Assignment of a Handle/URN as an identifier within the deposit in the Institutional Repository: http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12327/3646
Leadership analysis of institutional authors

There is a significant leadership presence as some of the institution’s authors appear as the first or last signer, detailed as follows: First Author (BELLVERT RIOS, JOAQUIM) and Last Author (GIRONA GOMIS, JOAN).

the author responsible for correspondence tasks has been BELLVERT RIOS, JOAQUIM.