The Effect of Climate Change on the Water Requirements of Wheat Crops in Al-Qurna District for the Periods (1950-1961) and (2011-2022)

Climate is one of the fundamental factors influencing various human activities, including agriculture. Climatic conditions impact the type of crops that can be grown and their water requirements, which is especially important in arid regions like the study area. Understanding these requirements helps determine the amount of irrigation water needed for crops to avoid overuse, as well as the agricultural area that can be irrigated and the water needs of wheat crops. Water consumption refers to the amount used by a crop during its growth period over a specified area to build plant tissues within a specific timeframe. The study shows that climatic elements such as solar radiation, various temperature types (mean, maximum, and minimum), wind, relative humidity, rainfall, and evaporation affect the water requirements of wheat crops in the study area. When examining the climate element changes between the periods 1950-1961 and 2011-2022, whether the change direction is positive (increase) or negative (decrease), it was observed that there were increases in solar radiation, mean temperature, maximum and minimum temperatures, and evaporation. Meanwhile, there were decreases in relative humidity, rainfall, and wind speed, with an increase in water demand for all wheat planting months, especially in October, March, and April during the 2011-2022 period. This is due to higher evaporation resulting from increased temperatures, unlike the 1950-1961 period , during which the water demand for most months was lower due to moderate climate elements.