Review paperConjunctive use of water resources for sustainable irrigated agriculture

•A review on issues and methods of conjunctive water use is provided.•Integrated simulation-optimization models are preferred for conjunctive use management.•Cyclic conjunctive water application has an edge over the blending use.•Salinity buildup in the root zone is a major disadvantage of conjunctive water use.

SummaryThe continuous increase in global population and simultaneous decrease in good quality water resources emphasizes the need of using surface water and groundwater resources conjunctively for irrigation. The conjunctive use allows the utilization of poor quality water, which cannot be used as such for the crop production due to its harmful effect on soil and crop health. This paper presents an overview on issues and methods of the conjunctive use of surface water and groundwater resources for sustainable irrigated agriculture. The background of the conjunctive water use and its applications for the management of poor quality water and management of rising watertable are presented. The management of conjunctive water use through the computer-based models is also covered in this review. The advantages and disadvantages of the approach have been described. Conclusions are provided based on this review which could be useful for all the stakeholders.