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This study investigates sustainable water management strategies for durian cultivation in non-irrigated areas of Chanthaburi Province, Thailand, where intensifying water scarcity and rising energy costs threaten agricultural productivity. As durian continues to serve as a major economic crop and export commodity, ensuring its viability under changing environmental conditions has become a critical policy and development concern. Using a mixed-methods approach that combines structural equation modeling (SEM), field observations from 150 farms, and interviews with key stakeholders, the research compares multiple water resource management techniques and their effects on farm performance. The results identify a hybrid solar-powered groundwater extraction system—combining renewable solar energy with grid-based backup—as the most effective and sustainable approach. This system reduces energy costs by approximately 48%, increases water reliability for irrigation, and lowers greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the structural equation model reveals that the availability of water sources (β = 0.53) and the use of clean energy (β = 0.41) are the most influential factors in sustainable durian farm management. By providing a scalable, cost-efficient, and low-carbon solution to irrigation in water-limited areas, this study offers a novel contribution to the field of climate-resilient agriculture. The integration of SEM results with cost-yield analysis provides actionable evidence for designing irrigation systems that are both energy-efficient and financially viable. These findings directly inform targeted interventions for high-value perennial crops and offer a replicable model for similar contexts across Southeast Asia.
Anunthawichak et al. (Tue,) studied this question.