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Agronomy QUESTION #2074
Question 1
In the context of water use efficiency (WUE), deficit irrigation strategy is agronomically justified when:
  • Full irrigation always maximizes both yield and profit regardless of water scarcity
  • Marginal value of the last unit of water applied to the crop (in terms of yield gain) falls below the marginal cost of water supply — intentionally applying less than full ET requirement increases WUE and economic returns per unit water while accepting a modest, manageable yield reduction✔️
  • Water is abundant and energy costs are negligible
  • Soil salinity prevents full water application
Correct Answer Explanation
Deficit irrigation deliberately applies water below full ET demand during less sensitive growth stages, exploiting crop drought tolerance to save water. The agronomic justification is economic: when water is scarce or costly, WUE (kg yield per m³ water) and profit per unit water is maximized by deficit irrigation — even with modest yield reduction — compared to fully irrigating a smaller area.