University of Tehran Press Iranian Journal of Soil and Water Research 2008-479X 55 10 2024 12 21 Estimating the Blue and Green Water Footprint of Rice in the Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) of Iran Estimating the Blue and Green Water Footprint of Rice in the Agro-Ecological Zones (AEZ) of Iran 1719 1741 99944 10.22059/ijswr.2024.377040.669719 FA Mohammadreza Khodadadi Balanaghibi Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran Afshin Soltani Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran 0000-0002-6941-4047 Ebrahim Zeinali Department of Agronomy, Faculty of Plant Production, Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran Journal Article 2024 05 26 After wheat, rice is the main food of Iranian people and has a special role in nutrition, income and job creation in the agricultural sector. Despite the undeniable importance of this crop, it is considered one of the water-intensive plants in the agricultural sector, and due to the water crisis in the country, the continuation of the cultivation of this crop in many regions of the country is facing many problems. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the potential yield (yield in the absence of water, nutrients, pests and diseases) and to estimate the blue and green water footprint of rice in the agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of the entire country. Water footprint calculations were done with the SSM-iCrop2 model for the time period of 2006-2015. The results show that parts of the northern regions of the country, such as Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces, which are located in the vicinity of the Caspian Sea, have less blue water footprint and more green water footprint, and are suitable areas for rice cultivation. Other provinces of the country, such as Khuzestan, Bushehr, Fars and South Khorasan, which are mainly located in the warm regions of the country, have more blue water footprints and less green water footprints, therefore, these provinces are not suitable for rice cultivation at all. After wheat, rice is the main food of Iranian people and has a special role in nutrition, income and job creation in the agricultural sector. Despite the undeniable importance of this crop, it is considered one of the water-intensive plants in the agricultural sector, and due to the water crisis in the country, the continuation of the cultivation of this crop in many regions of the country is facing many problems. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the potential yield (yield in the absence of water, nutrients, pests and diseases) and to estimate the blue and green water footprint of rice in the agro-ecological zones (AEZ) of the entire country. Water footprint calculations were done with the SSM-iCrop2 model for the time period of 2006-2015. The results show that parts of the northern regions of the country, such as Gilan, Mazandaran and Golestan provinces, which are located in the vicinity of the Caspian Sea, have less blue water footprint and more green water footprint, and are suitable areas for rice cultivation. Other provinces of the country, such as Khuzestan, Bushehr, Fars and South Khorasan, which are mainly located in the warm regions of the country, have more blue water footprints and less green water footprints, therefore, these provinces are not suitable for rice cultivation at all. https://ijswr.ut.ac.ir/article_99944_cfaa885f5f723276b188d40f0aafde9a.pdf