Water footprint of onion (Alliun cepa L.) and husk tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) crops in the region of Atlixco, Puebla, Mexico

Abstract

The production of vegetables and flowers under irrigation in the region of Atlixco, Puebla, requires large quantities of water. An indicator of these water requirements is found in their water footprint. This study aimed to estimate the water footprint of husk or green tomato (Physalis ixocarpa Brot.) and onion (Allium cepa L.) crops in the region. The water footprint for onion in spring-summer (SP-SU) and husk tomato crops for the A-W cycle were estimated for the year of 2017. Green and blue Water Footprints were calculated from evapotranspiration estimated using the CROPWAT version 8 program; together with climate information and yield information, management practices and crop development inferred from interviews with regional producers. The gray water footprint was estimated based on the use of nitrogen and phosphoric fertilizers. The water footprint of the SP-SU onion crop was greater than that of the (A-W) onion and O-I onion and (A-W) husk tomato, which can be explained considering seasonal climatic changes and yields. It was concluded that onion and tomato crops result in a high consumptive use of water in the region, as the water incorporated into their production processes in 2017 was 4,876,710.3 m3, which represents 5.2% of the water allocated to total water consumption and 6.8% of the water allocated to agriculture in the region.