The Khuzestan Plain, located in the arid and semi-arid region of southwestern Iran, is one of the fertile regions that, despite the presence of five major rivers, is facing a water shortage crisis like most parts of the country. Unfortunately, many limitations have prevented the Khuzestan Plain from reaching its maximum potential in terms of production. Therefore, this article attempts to examine the concepts, challenges, tools, and important factors limiting water productivity in wheat fields in the south of Khuzestan Province (Ahvaz, Bandar Mahshahr, Khorramshahr, Azadegan Plain, Shadegan, Ramshir, Hoveyzeh, Bavi, Karun, and Hamidieh counties) using existing information, and ultimately provides suggestions for improving and managing the current situation.

The results show that these factors (existing limitations) are divided into three groups: natural, managerial, and environmental. Hot and dry climate (temperature increase from 24.0 to 24.6 Ċ and 7.5% increase in potential evapotranspiration in Khuzestan Province), presence of heavy texture throughout the soil profile with low permeability and hydraulic conductivity, soil salinity with both primary and secondary origins, shallow water table, absence of natural drainage, improper land leveling, excessive use of chemical fertilizers, incorrect irrigation in terms of distance and depth, and failure to select the appropriate irrigation method due to the presence of multiple environmental stresses and the decrease in average rainfall from 352.1 to 294.6 mm/ year in Khuzestan Province over the last 10 years, water loss in the field in the form of evaporation (with an average water use efficiency of 64% in the studied counties), runoff and deep losses, and a set of social, cultural, and security factors are important limitations to improving water productivity and production in the southern Khuzestan Plain