Tool for the Assessment of Irrigation Water Quality and Its Economic Impact on Crop Production: Jordan Valley Case Study

Irrigation water quality is a critical factor of sustainable agricultural development in arid and semi-arid regions such as Jordan. This study investigates how irrigation water quality impacts the economics of wheat and tomato farming in the Jordan Valley. The Inverse Distance Weighting (IDW) method was used for mapping physicochemical characteristics of irrigation water. We quantified how spatial variations in the Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) directly influence agricultural performance by integrating crop yield and net profit calculations with IWQI. Correlation analysis and comparative yield–profit assessments were conducted across six major agricultural zones. The findings showed that Al-Kafrain and Sharhabil regions had significantly greater yields and substantially higher net profits particularly for tomatoes compared to the King Talal area. The Irrigation Water Quality Index (IWQI) showed a strong positive correlation with yield and profits with coefficients for all parameters exceeding 0.89. The results showed a significant profitability difference between regions, exceeding 200%, demonstrating that irrigation water quality is a key staple in the northwest part of Jordan Valley’s economic outcomes. It was revealed that improving irrigation water quality and aligning suitable crop choices with Jordanian water conditions are essential for enhancing agricultural profitability in arid and semi-arid environments.