**2. Deficit Irrigation Strategies**

Several studies investigated the effect of mid-summer irrigation cut-off (no irrigation after June until the following spring) on alfalfa yield [1–3]. Moderate deficit irrigation strategies applying 12.5–33% less irrigation water than farmers' normal irrigation practices during the summer period were evaluated in the low desert of California [4]. This strategy demonstrated a promising and decent amount of water conservation and simultaneously generated desirable hay yields and quality. Implementation of the proposed summer deficit irrigation strategies on alfalfa could provide a reliable source of seasonally available water as well as sustain the economic viability of agriculture in the region. These strategies might be sustainable as an effective water conservation tool if such measures provide adequate economic incentives to the participating farmers. Incentive programs to farmers must offset the risk of implementing the proposed practices, as a tool for adopting water conservation practices.

The effect of drip irrigation integrated with partial root drying (PRD) and soil mulching was studied on squash plants [5]. The PRD strategy improved both the squash yield and water use efficiency (WUE). Soil mulching enhanced the physiological properties of the squash plants, fruit quality, squash yield, and WUE. This study reported that sowing squash plants in the winter season, applying water to compensate 50% of evapotranspiration, and using plastic mulch as water-saving strategies could be used as a water-saving strategy without reducing yields.

**Citation:** Montazar, A. Irrigation Tools and Strategies to Conserve Water and Ensure a Balance of Sustainability and Profitability. *Agronomy* **2021**, *11*, 2037. https:// doi.org/10.3390/agronomy11102037

Received: 18 September 2021 Accepted: 8 October 2021 Published: 11 October 2021

**Publisher's Note:** MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

**Copyright:** © 2021 by the author. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license (https:// creativecommons.org/licenses/by/ 4.0/).
