This Research Topic is part of the article collection series - Enhancing Agricultural Water Management: Techniques for Improving Crop Water Efficiency and Sustainability.

Research on crop water requirements is pivotal for precision irrigation and agricultural water conservation. Various farm management techniques, such as deficit irrigation with optimized water allocation, various irrigation methods (sprinkler, drip, and micro-sprinkler irrigation), and biological water-saving technologies, significantly influence the pattern of crop water demand. The application of these technologies exhibits spatial variability. For example, water use efficiency at the field scale might exceed that at the irrigation district scale, where irrigation practices are more precision-oriented, thereby affecting water use efficiency from a broader perspective. Understanding and applying advanced water management techniques enables farmers to adjust their practices for more efficient water use, ultimately leading to more resilient and sustainable agricultural practices. Therefore, it is crucial to study the impact of various agricultural irrigation and fertigation techniques on crop water demand, water physiology, and water use efficiency to enhance crop resistance to water shortage and improve water use efficiency.

The objective of this research topic is to explore the impacts of varying water and fertilizer management strategies, particularly with the integration of innovative technologies, across different scales on crop water demands, water-related physiological functions, crop growth dynamics, and their role in enhancing crop resilience. This investigation will cover the extensive physiological adaptations of crops to these strategies, examining the consequences of diverse irrigation and fertilization coupling modes at the field level on crop water use and physiological functions, alongside the evaluation of crop water-related physiological processes at the irrigation district magnitude.

This Research Topic aims to report recent breakthroughs in the deployment of novel water and fertilizer management strategies or models within plant sciences. Authors are welcome to submit related to, but not limited to, the following topics:

- Response mechanisms of crops to novel water and fertilizer management technologies
- Physiological responses of crops to water productivity under deficit irrigation
- Variability and precise control of crop water efficient utilization at large scale
- Impact of coupled water and fertilizer management on soil-crop interactions
- Impact of changing weather patterns on crop water and nutrient requirements
- Implementation of smart farming technologies in water and fertilizer application
- Water use efficiency and irrigation practices
- Models for managing water and fertilizer

Are you interested in contributing a manuscript to this Research Topic?

Enhancing Agricultural Water Management: Techniques for Improving Crop Water Efficiency and Sustainability, Volume II