| The Al-Hassa Oasis is located in eastern Saudi Arabia. The dry tropical climate requires irrigation throughout the year for agricultural crop production, which currently faces the following problems: declining groundwater tables, scarcity of surface water, high soil salinity in substantial parts of the districts serviced by the irrigation authority, low efficiency of irrigation water use in fields, rising costs for production inputs, and declining crop yields.;Knowledge of production energy input/food energy output relationships is essential to select the most energy efficient crops when cultural energy savings per food energy unit are the prime planning objective.;The objectives of this research are to assess field irrigation efficiency under traditional, intermediate, and modern irrigation methods, to calculate energy efficiency under traditional, intermediate, and modern soil management practices, and to determine the relationship between irrigation efficiency and production energy efficiency within the current agricultural scenario of the Oasis.;144 fields on 42 farms were surveyed. An integrative program for personal computers calculates fields energy budgets. The results indicate that modern irrigation methods reach highest levels of average field irrigation efficiency and traditional irrigation methods achieve the lowest levels. Also modern agricultural practices show the highest average levels of energetic performance.;Analyses regarding the relationship between (1) food energy output and irrigation energy input, non-irrigation energy input and irrigation efficiency, (2) irrigation efficiency and total cultural energy input, (3) irrigation efficiency and irrigation energy input, (4) food energy output and cultural energy input, and (5) production energy efficiency and irrigation efficiency under tomatoes, cucumber, potatoes, other vegetables, alfalfa, wheat, dates, and rice indicate that the effect varies from one crop to another.;The following recommendations are suggested to the Ministry of Agricultural and Water and to the farmers in the Oasis: (1) Modernize traditional and intermediate irrigation methods on as many acres as feasible. (2) Rice should be widely replaced by other crops. (3) Introduce small greenhouses on as many private farms as possible. (4) Develop agricultural extension service programs and training programs that address fundamental aspects of improving irrigation water use and soil management alternatives.;This data base can be used in an agricultural resource-oriented Decision Support System. (Abstract shortened with permission of author.). |
