Water Footprint and Evapotranspiration Partitioning in Drip-Irrigated Faba Bean: Effects of Irrigation Regime and Planting Pattern

Abstract

Efficient water management is critical for sustainable crop production in arid and semi-arid regions. This study investigated the effects of two irrigation regimes—25% and 50% Management Allowable Depletion (MAD) and two planting patterns (single-row and double-row) on evapotranspiration (ET) partitioning, water use efficiency (WUE), and water footprint (WF) in drip-irrigated faba bean (Vicia faba L.). Field data were combined with a leaf area index (LAI)-based model to estimate the relative contributions of transpiration (T) and evaporation (E) to total ET. The highest grain yield (6171 kg ha−1) and the lowest blue (570 m3 ton−1) and green (68 m3 ton−1) water footprints were recorded under the 25% MAD with double-row planting. This treatment also achieved the highest proportion of transpiration in ET (70%), indicating a shift toward productive water use. In contrast, the lowest-performing treatment (50% MAD, single-row) had the highest total water footprint (792 m3 ton−1) and the lowest transpiration share (44%). Although high-density planting slightly reduced WUE based on transpiration, it improved overall water efficiency when total input (ETc) was considered (1.57 kg m−3 for total input WUE, 4.17 kg/m−3 for T-based WUE). These findings highlight the importance of integrating irrigation scheduling and planting pattern to improve both physiological and agronomic water productivity. The approach offers a practical strategy for sustainable faba bean production in water-scarce environments and supports climate-resilient irrigation planning aligned with Iraq’s National Water Strategy.