Water Conservation in Agriculture

Water Conservation in Agriculture

Climate change and rapid growth of the population are some of the factors which have intensified the search for efficient methods of conserving water. Water is essential to human life and it is also necessary for the growth of food used by human beings. Some parts of the world experience adverse climate changes where draught last for a long time before it rains. Therefore, there is a need to use the available water efficiently to avoid unnecessary wastage of water. Technological methods have to be employed in agricultural practices so that adequate food can be produced with a limited supply of water. This research paper will analyze previous research and policies which have been put in place to enhance water conservation in agriculture. Also, the research paper will discuss various methods used for water conservation and the advantages of water conservation in agriculture.

Much proportion of the food products across the globe require water for their production. In the past, Easterling has observed that there is a major challenge to the 21st-century scientific leaders to increase the supply of food production to accommodate the rapidly growing population(Ward,18215). Many countries have inadequate water supplies to meet urban water needs, environmental and agricultural needs. With the insufficient water supply the population continues to grow day and night hence posing a significant challenge to increase food production for the growing population. The pressure of increasing food production in the face of limited water supplies goes to the agricultural sector. Various public policies have been put into place, and a large number of resources spent to promote water conservation in agriculture. However, most of these investments have not increased the available water for use nor have they increased food production in agriculture. Hussain et al. (16), Peterson and Ding (18) have conducted a remarkable study which connects water use efficiency with water savings.

Drip irrigation is one method which can be used to conserve water in agriculture. Use of drips in agriculture ensures that water goes directly to the crop’s roots. Drip irrigation also reduces the loss of water through evaporation. (Castro,271) By use of technology, timers can be used to ensure that the drips supply water to the crops only during the cooler hours of the day to prevent water from evaporating. Properly installed drip irrigation can save water usage by 80% as compared to conventional irrigation. However, the disadvantage of the use of drip irrigation in agriculture is that the method is expensive where a large amount of money is required to install the drips. Therefore, small scale farmers planting crops in dry areas cannot afford the use of drip irrigation because of its expenses.

Most farmers rely on water from wells and ponds in their farms. Constructing ponds is an effective way which can be used to harvest and store water during the rainy season of the year. This water in the lake can then be used by the farmers to practice agriculture even during the dry season of the year. Water ponds also provide habitat for marine animals and also provide other animals with drinking water throughout the year. One example where rainwater is harvested and used for agriculture is Marin Roots farm where two ponds offer all the water needs, helping minimise their impact on the surrounding watershed.

Growing crops which are appropriate to a particular climate of a region is another way in which agricultural food production can be increased with limited water supply. Science has proved that different species of crops have different adaptations which suits them to either dry all wet areas. Farmers who practice irrigation at dry areas can specialize in planting crops which can withstand dry climate conditions. Olives and cucumbers have been proved to be drought -tolerant crops, and therefore farmers at arid regions can produce them using the little available water. Dry farming is also another method which can be used to enhance water conservation in agriculture. Dry farming is an agricultural practice where farmers do not irrigate their crops, but they rely on soil moisture during the dry season to produce the crops. In this method, particular tilling methods are employed to ensure that the soil still contains moisture during the dry seasons. This method of water conservation in agriculture is used to enhance the crop ’s, but it yields low produce as compared to conventional agriculture. Wine grapes have been successfully dried farmed in California.

Use of compost and mulch can also be used to enhance water holding capacity. Compost is a form of fertilizer which is made from organic material. Application of manure enriches the soil and improves its ability to retain water even during the dry conditions. Mulch is natural materials such as dry grass placed on the top of the ground (Sidibe,2011).The importance to use mulch In enhancing water conservation in agriculture is that it retains soil moisture and at last it decomposes to compost hence enriching the soil with nutrients and improving the agricultural production. Proper irrigation scheduling is another effective method for conserving water used in agriculture. Smart water management is not just how water is delivered to the crops but when the water should be delivered to avoid overwatering of plants when the water supply is limited. Farmers should be able to forecast the weather correctly so that they know the right time to water their plants. This helps to avoid watering the crops using stored water when it is going to rain still the same day. Using water at night slows down the rate of evaporation allowing water to seep into the soil and hence raising the water table.

The proper definition of water rights is another way which should be put in place to enhance water conservation in agriculture. The U.S National Resource Conservation Service Environmental Quality Incentives Program defines that if a farmer has been able to irrigate two acres instead of one with same water right then the water has been efficiently used and the farmer deserves an incentive to continue with the farming. The government should take the responsibility of setting up research institutions to study on various ways in which agricultural produce will be increased with the available water (Koontz). The government should also finance the weather forecast institutions to ensure that farmers are informed on weather changes so that they can practice scheduling their farming. The government should also provide the farmers in dry regions with seedlings of crops which are drought-tolerant to promote success in agriculture.

Generally, without defining the water use in terms of water depleted, then we will not be able to conserve water used in agriculture. Everyone one should take the responsibility of handling the water effectively when doing farming to ensure that agricultural food production is increased to cater to the needs of the large population. To avoid the scarcity of food with the rapidly growing population, climate change and limited water supplies then water conservation methods have to be applied in agricultural practices.

Work cited

Ward, Frank A., and Manuel Pulido-Velazquez. “Water conservation in irrigation can increase water use.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105.47 (2008): 18215-18220.

Castro Filho, C. de, et al. “Tillage methods and soil and water conservation in southern Brazil.” Soil and Tillage Research 20.2-4 (1991): 271-283.

Sidibé, Amadou. “Farm-level adoption of soil and water conservation techniques in northern Burkina Faso.” Agricultural water management 71.3 (2005): 211-224.

Koontz, Tomas M., et al. Collaborative Environmental Management: What Roles for Government-1. Routledge, 2010.