Increasing water-use efficiency in rice production: farm-level perspectives

This paper describes the components of water use in rice-based production systems and identifies water used during land preparation, and seepage and percolation during crop growth as important sources of water `loss' from the system. Strategies for increasing farm-level water-use efficiency are discussed, including the problems of up-scaling from on-farm to system-level water savings.     

Economic evaluation of salinity,drainage and non-uniformity of infiltrated irrigation water

Salinity, drainage and non-uniformity of irrigation water are important components in determining optimal water application and related profitability. A crop-water production function assuming steady state conditions is incorporated in a long-run economic model to investigate the combined effects of salinity, irrigation uniformity and different drainage requirements at the field scale for the specific crop.The analysis was conducted for corn and cotton as sensitive and tolerant crops to salinity, respectively. Optimum applied water and associated profits, yield and drainage volumes were computed for each crop. The computations were done for the condition that no drainage system was required and also where a drainage system was required and the drainage water was disposed of to either a free off-farm facility or to an on-farm evaporation pond constructed on productive or non-productive land.The main findings are that type of drainage disposal system affects the optimal values of applied water, profits, yield and drainage volumes, except for uniform water applications and non-saline irrigation water. Another finding is that in the long run, under saline conditions and/or different drainage disposal systems, a sensitive crop such as corn is not profitable and goes out of production. In general the profit levels associated with the various drainage options are in the order of no drainage requirement ? free off-farm facility > on-farm evaporation pond on non-productive land > on-farm evaporation pond on productive land. Uniformity of irrigation water affects values of the analyzed variables and the effects are greatest for the cases of on-farm evaporation ponds. Pumping cost effects are quite small, but water price effects are more significant. Breeding the crops for increased salinity tolerance has little effect when irrigating with water of low salinity and/or low irrigation uniformity.     

Balancing land use to manage river volume and salinity: Economic and hydrological consequences for the Little River catchment in Central West, New South Wales, Australia

It has been widely suggested that changing land use from annual to perennial crops reduces land and stream degradation due to salinisation. However, annual crops are financially attractive and increases in perennials can reduce stream flows with adverse effects on stream values. As such, salinity control is likely to involve tradeoffs between public and private costs and benefits. This study quantifies the expected on-farm economic and catchment-level water yield and salinity effects of altering land use among trees, perennial pastures and cereals. The structure of a two stage linear-programming (LP) process is described. The first stage is the MIDAS farm-level model of mixed cropping and sheep enterprises which provides inputs to a second stage catchment-level LP. It was concluded that perennial pastures can be used in conjunction with trees as a stream salinity-management tool in low to intermediate rainfall areas in New South Wales. The results indicate that land-use decisions should be informed by site-specific information if adverse effects on streams are to be avoided.     

Economic and agronomic strategies to achieve sustainable irrigation

The achievement of sustainable irrigation in arid regions requires greater attention to waterlogging, salinization, and degradation of ground and surface waters, which are among the problems that continue to threaten productivity and degrade environmental quality. We consider sustainability to be achieved when irrigation and drainage are conducted on-farm, and within irrigation districts, in a manner that does not degrade the quality of land, water, and other natural resources, either on-farm or throughout an irrigated region. Sustainability may also be described as maintaining the productive resources required for irrigation, so that future generations may have the same opportunity to use those resources as we do. Given the increasing importance of irrigated land for food production, the time has come when it is vital to intercept, reuse, and isolate drainage waters within the regions in which they are generated. Adoption of this strategy can be enhanced by policies that require farmers, and irrigation districts, to consider the off-farm impacts of irrigation and drainage. Such policies include linking water rights with salt rights to require the monitoring and management of both irrigation water and the salt loads in drainage waters. We review the knowledge gained since the early 1970s regarding the economic and agronomic aspects of irrigation and drainage, with a focus on drainage water reduction and sequential reuse of drainage water on salt-tolerant crops. Economic incentives that motivate farm-level and district-level improvements in water management are also reviewed. We conclude that adequate knowledge exists for implementing strategies that focus on water use and salt disposal within irrigated regions, and we recommend policies that will motivate improvements in productivity and enhance the likelihood of achieving sustainability.     

Irrigation evaluation based on performance analysis and water accounting at the Bear River Irrigation Project (U.S.A.)

The purpose of this work is to contribute to the development of a combined approach to evaluate irrigated areas based on: (1) irrigation performance analysis intended to assess the productive impacts of irrigation practices and infrastructures, and (2) water accounting focused on the hydrological impacts of water use. Ador-Simulation, a combined model that simulates irrigation, water delivery, and crop growth and production was applied in a surface irrigated area (1213 ha) located in the Bear River Irrigation Project, Utah, U.S.A.. A soil survey, a campaign of on-farm irrigation evaluations and an analysis of the database from the Bear River Canal Company and other resources were performed in order to obtain the data required to simulate the water flows of the study area in 2008. Net land productivity (581 US$ ha⁻¹) was 20% lower than the potential value, whereas on-farm irrigation efficiency (IE) averaged only 60%. According to the water accounting, water use amounted to 14.24 Mm³, 86% of which was consumed through evapotranspiration or otherwise non-recoverable. Gross water productivity over depleted water reached 0.132 US$ m⁻³. In addition, two strategies for increasing farm productivity were analyzed. These strategies intended to improve water management and infrastructures raised on-farm IE to 90% reducing the gap between current and potential productivities by about 50%. Water diverted to the project was reduced by 2.64 Mm³. An analysis based on IE could lead to think that this volume would be saved. However, the water accounting showed that actually only 0.91 Mm³ would be available for alternative uses. These results provide insights to support the decision-making processes of farmers, water user associations, river basin authorities and policy makers. Water accounting overcomes the limitations and hydrological misunderstandings of traditional analysis based on irrigation efficiency to assess irrigated areas in the context of water scarcity and competitive agricultural markets.     

Modelling point and diffuse source pollution of nitrate in a rural lowland catchment using the SWAT model

The assessments of potential environmental impacts of point and diffuse source pollution at regional scales are necessary to achieve the sustainable development of natural resources such as land and water. Nutrient related diffuse source pollutant inputs can enhance crop growth and improve soil eutrophication. However, excessive nutrient input can result in the impairment of water quality. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the long-term impact of point and diffuse source pollution on nitrate load in a lowland catchment using the ecohydrological model SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) and to determine the contribution of point and diffuse sources to nitrate load in the entire catchment.The study area Kielstau catchment has a size of approximately 50 km² and is located in the North German lowlands. The water quality is not only influenced by the predominating agricultural land use in the catchment as cropland and pasture, but also by six municipal wastewater treatment plants. Diffuse entries as well as punctual entries from the wastewater treatment plants are implemented in the model set-up. The model was first calibrated and then validated in a daily time step. The values of the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency for the simulations of flow and nitrate load range from 0.68 to 0.75 for the calibration period and from 0.76 to 0.78 for the validation period. These statistical results revealed that the SWAT model performed satisfactorily in simulating daily flow and nitrate load in lowland catchment of Northern Germany. The results showed that diffuse sources are the main contributor to nitrate load in the entire catchment accounting for about 95% of the total nitrate load, while only 5% results from point sources. The model results also indicated that agriculture is the dominant contributor of diffuse sources and the percentage of agricultural land area is considerably positively correlated to nitrate load at the different subbasins. The area covered by forest is found to be negatively correlated with nitrate load.     

Water-use efficiency of sorghum and groundnut under traditional and current irrigation in the Gezira scheme, Sudan

In the Gezira irrigation scheme in central Sudan, serious symptoms of water waste have been identified in the last two decades, especially in sorghum and groundnut fields. To quantify losses, water-use efficiencies and related parameters were obtained for these two food crops under the traditional attended daytime water application and the newly evolved unattended continuous watering method. In this on-farm research, the neutron scattering method was used to determine the actual soil water deficits of the two crops. A simple Penman equation was used for approximating reference crop evapotranspiration and evaporation losses from standing water and wet soil surface. An updated approach using the Penman-Monteith equation was additionally applied. The study revealed wastage of irrigation water in both irrigation methods but at different rates and also differently for each crop. In the attended field, the average seasonal over-irrigation, which is the difference between average application depth Q and average soil moisture deficit SWD, was observed to range between 0.4 and 1.5 of SWD (0.3 and 0.6 of Q) and the corresponding values in the unattended field were 0.6 and 3.2 of SWD (0.4 and 0.8 of Q). Higher values are shown by the groundnut subplots, which crop also suffers from excess water, and by the drier year as well as in the unattended fields. A first approximation is given, still including readily available water at harvest, of minimum water requirements in attended watering for maximum yields. In the drier year, when more irrigation water was applied, an amount equal to 30-50% of these minimum water requirements was lost in evaporation from standing water/wet surface, which is the main unproductive water. More frequent land levelling aiming at minimum standing water in better attended irrigation and farm management (e.g. weeding) are priority measures proposed. The quantitative on-farm water waste determinations represent the innovative content of this paper. Knowing precisely how large the problem is and being able to quantify its components will contribute much to the arguments of those who wish to take the proposed measures.     

Aflaj irrigation and on-farm water management in northern Oman

This paper reports on results from a case study on water management within a traditional, falaj irrigation system in northern Oman. In the planning and design of regional irrigation development programs, generalized assumptions are frequently made as to the efficiency of traditional surface irrigation systems. Although qualitative accounts abound, very little quantitative research has been conducted on on-farm water management within falaj systems. Daily irrigation applications and crop water use was monitored during an 11-month period among 6 farm holdings at Falaj Hageer in Wilayat Al-Awabi. Contrary to the frequent assumptions that all surface irrigation systems incur unnecessarily high water losses, on-farm ratios of crop water demand to irrigation supply were found to be relatively high. Based on actual crop water use, irrigation demand/supply ratios among monitored farms varied from 0.60 to 0.98, with a mean of 0.79. Examination of the soil moisture budget indicates that during most irrigations of wheat (cultivated in the low evapotranspiration months of October–March) sufficient water is applied for the shallow root zone to attain field capacity. With the exception of temporary periods of high falaj delivery flows or periods of rainfall, field capacity is usually not attained during irrigations within the more extensive root zones of date palm farms. The data presented in this paper should provide a better understanding of water use performance by farmers within traditional falaj systems. Moreover, these data should also serve to facilitate more effective development planning for irrigation water conservation programs in the region.     

Enhancing water policy discussions by including analysis of non-water inputs and farm-level constraints

Water resource professionals have many opportunities to contribute to policy discussions regarding agricultural productivity. Often those discussions are focused on increasing the output generated with limited water supplies, such as maximizing the “crop per drop” or improving irrigation efficiencies, either at the field level or throughout a river basin. Policy discussions involving water resources in developing countries can be enhanced by placing greater emphasis on the roles of non-water inputs and resource constraints in farm-level production and marketing decisions. Three categories of policies that lie outside the water resource realm, but have substantial impacts on water use and agricultural productivity, are examined: (1) policies that modify farm-level input and output prices directly; (2) international trade policies; and (3) policies that modify key institutions, such as land tenure and the sources of investment funds.     

基于SWAT模型的开都河上游未来土地利用变化对径流的影响

【目的】揭示土地利用变化下的流域径流变化。【方法】以开都河上游区域为研究对象,利用分布式水文模型SWAT,采用元胞自动机-马尔科夫模型(CA-Markov)预测法、当地土地利用规划要求和极端土地利用情景法共设置了4种2025年土地利用情景,包括自然发展情景、规划发展情景、极端草地情景、极端林地情景。【结果】①构建的SWAT模型在率定期(R2=0.74,NSE=0.73)与验证期(R2=0.58,NSE=0.57)的模拟结果可以接受。②采用CA-Markov模型模拟的2010年土地利用类型图Kappa系数为0.83,可用于预测2025年土地利用类型。1980—2010年土地利用类型变化主要表现为草地转换为水体和未利用地,其转换面积分别为106.09 km2和0.5 km2。③相较于基准年2010年,各土地利用情景下的年均径流量均减少,自然发展情景减少最快,极端草地情景减少最慢;从丰水期与枯水期来看,2种时期下各情景月均径流变化完全相反;从其季节分配来看,各土地利用类型在夏季对径流变化影响最大,冬季影响较小。【结论】该地区草地是影响径流最主要的调控因子,原有草地的减少会引起夏季径流较大幅度减少,对于未利用地,可考虑开发为草地。     

Use of CERES-Maize to study effect of spatial precipitation variability on yield

The objective of this study was to determine the usefulness of on-farm precipitation measurement, through determining spatial and temporal precipitation variability and its effect on corn yield. CERES-Maize (DSSAT version 3.5) was used with three precipitation data sources, for an Indiana farm—an on-farm National Weather Service (NWS) station, the nearest non-urban NWS station with electronic reporting (27 km from the farm), and a weighted mean of the three nearest such stations (27–35 km away)—to simulate 31 years of crop yield on 1-ha grid cells. Described as a percentage of the mean, spatial precipitation variability among the three data sources by corn phenological phase was 21–104%, while temporal (year-to-year) variability was 20–49%. The difference in simulated yield based on spatial precipitation variability was 15.8%, while year-to-year yield variability was 21.5%. The apparent yield difference based on spatial precipitation variability was of the same order as year-to-year variability, which suggests having on-farm precipitation data may be necessary for accurate yield modeling.     

Evaluation of the water use efficiency of alternative farm practices at a range of spatial and temporal scales: A conceptual framework and a modelling approach

Water is the principal limiting resource in Australian broadacre farming, and the efficiency with which farmers use water to produce various products is a major determinant both of farm profit and of a range of natural resource management (NRM) outcomes. We propose a conceptual framework based on multiple water use efficiencies (WUEs) that can be used to gain insight into high-level comparisons of the productivity and sustainability of alternative farming practices across temporal and spatial scales. The framework is intended as a data aggregation and presentation device. It treats flows of water, biomass and money in a mixed farming system; economic inefficiencies in these flows are tracked as they are associated with a range of NRM indicators.We illustrate the use of the framework, and its place in a larger research programme, by employing it to synthesise the results from a set of modelling analyses of the effect of land use choices on long-term productivity and a range of NRM indicators (frequency of low ground cover, deep drainage, N leaching rates and rate of change in surface soil organic carbon). The analyses span scales from single paddocks and years to whole farms and have been carried out with the APSIM and GRAZPLAN biophysical simulation models and the MIDAS whole-farm economic model.In single wheat crops in one study, different land uses in preceding years affect grain yield primarily by affecting the harvest index. When the scale changes to cropping rotations, the critical factor affecting overall water use efficiency is found to be the proportion of stored soil water that is transpired by crops. When ordinated in terms of their water use efficiencies, a set of 45 modelled rotation sequences at another location are differentiated mainly by the proportion of pasture in the rotation; when rotations are ordinated using key NRM indicators, the proportion of lucerne pasture is the main distinguishing factor. Finally, we show that for whole crop-livestock farms at three different locations across southern Australia, the pattern of water use efficiencies in the most profitable farming systems changes in similar ways as cropping proportion is altered. At this scale, land use choices affect multiple water use efficiency indices simultaneously and commodity prices determine the balance of the resulting economic tradeoffs.Limitations to the use of the WUE framework arising from its relative simplicity are discussed, as are other areas of farming systems research and development to which it can be applied.     

三江平原湿地保护措施的初步研究

三江平原是我国最大的湿地集中分布区。但由于水土资源的不合理开发利用,造成湿地萎缩,并导致土地沙化、水土流失、水旱灾害频繁发生、生物多样性明显下降等诸多环境问题。简述了三江平原沼泽湿地的主要功能,分析了造成湿地萎缩的主要原因,提出了三江平原湿地保护的基本措施。     

基于RS和GIS的土地利用/覆被变化及其功能转型特征分析——以新疆叶城县为例#br#

以土地利用遥感影像数据解译的基础及相关遥感技术支持,将土地利用类型分为6大类型的LUCC数据源,通过选取土地利用动态度与土地利用程度指数,结合采用土地利用程度和转移矩阵模型,对新疆喀什地区叶城县近15年的土地利用/覆被变化及其功能演变进行综合分析。研究结果表明：2005—2020年期间叶城县的草地、耕地、水域面积及建设用地整体呈现增长的趋势,分别增加421.21 km2、181.25 km2、120.49 km2、7.37 km2,沙地、冰川及永久积雪、林地及其他未利用地面积在不断减少,分别减少 320.58 km2、303.92 km2、61.16 km2、43.21 km2;土地利用程度方面,在近15年研究区的土地利用程度呈现上涨,表明土地利用正处于发展期,尤其是2010—2015年期间土地利用程度指数与其他时期相比较高;由土地利用转移矩阵可知：研究区主要转入土地类型为耕地、草地、建设用地、水域等,土地面积都呈现一定幅度的增加,而林地、沙地、冰川及永久积雪和其他未利用地的面积都有所减少;在研究期间,土地利用功能类型中生态生产用地增加幅度最大,增加480.92 km2,其次是生产生态用地排列第二,为181.02 km2,而生态容纳用地呈现减少趋势,减少667.82 km2,说明叶城县土地利用功能类型的变化受到人为影响较大。研究结果可为新疆叶城县土地资源的可持续利用,科学管理和生态规划提供依据。     

新一轮规划实施背景下发达地区土地利用策略——以宁波市大嵩新城为例

为了系统地分析沿海经济发达地区土地利用问题,提出适宜于该区域全面协调发展的土地利用策略。采用案例分析法,以宁波市大嵩新城为例,通过分析沿海发达地区城市发展定位,新一轮规划实施背景下新城建设发展过程中所面临的用地制约和用地问题,有针对性地从开源节流两方面提出适宜于大嵩新城发展的可行用地策略。经测算,大嵩新城通过改旧挖潜,可以增加建设用地650 hm2,通过上山下海可增加建设用地860 hm2,能有效缓解当前的用地矛盾。研究结果表明,坚持内涵挖潜以及结合自身地缘优势调整好用地空间布局的土地利用策略,既可以为地方政府制定新一轮规划管控措施提供一定参考,同时也可以为保障区域城市建设发展用地提供可行的建议。      

Adverse effect of waterlogging and soil salinity on crop and land productivity in northwest region of Haryana,India

In the irrigated areas of semi-arid regions, especially in northwest India, a considerable recharge to the groundwater leads to waterlogging and secondary salinization. In several sub-areas groundwater is mined, water tables fall, and salts are added to the root zone because a high proportion of irrigation water is derived from pumped groundwater of poor quality. Out of 1 million hectares of irrigation induced waterlogged saline area in northwest India, approximately half a million hectares are in the state of Haryana. Taking a homogenous physical environment as a starting point, the way and the extent to which farmers’ activities will affect the salinity and sodicity situation depend on farming and irrigation practices. In the past, soil salinity was mainly associated with high groundwater tables, which bring salts into the root zone through capillary rise when water is pumped. But nowadays, increasing exploitation of groundwater for irrigation purposes has led to declining groundwater tables and a threat of sodification and salinization due to use of poor quality groundwater. Farmers in northwest India are facing a situation in which they have to deal with salt volumes that are harmful for water uptake of crops. They are also facing the problem of sodicity, which has an adverse effect on the physical structure of the soil, causing problems of water intake, transfer and aeration. To mitigate the adverse effect of soil salinity on crop yield, the farmers irrigate frequently, either mixing canal water and groundwater, or alternately using canal water and groundwater. Due to differences in environmental parameters in the farming systems, such as groundwater quality, soil types and uneven distribution of irrigation water, income losses to the farming community are not uniform. This paper highlights the economic loss due to environmental degradation through the twin problems of waterlogging and soil salinity, which threaten the sustainability of agricultural production in Haryana state. Our analysis shows that the net present value of the damage due to waterlogging and salinity in Haryana is about Rs. 23,900/ha (in 1998–1999 constant prices). The estimated potential annual loss is about Rs. 1669 million (about US$ 37 million) from the waterlogged saline area. The major finding of the paper is that intensification per se is not the root cause of land degradation, but rather the policy environment that encouraged inappropriate land use and injudicious input use, especially excessive irrigation. Trade policies, output price policies and input subsidies all have contributed to the degradation of agricultural land.     

Can computer models stimulate learning about sustainable land use? Experience with LUPAS in the humid (sub-)tropics of Asia

In many rice-cultivating regions of east and south-east Asia, competition for land and water resources is strong and increasing. This calls for exploration of future technology and policy options in support of sustainable land (and water) use. Sustainable land use is a complex issue, that involves uncertainties about the dynamics of the biophysical system and the social system, as well as multiple perspectives. The capacity to identify options for sustainable and equitable development depends on the acquisition of knowledge and skills for (a) holistic analysis of the biophysical system dynamics, (b) analysis of the multiple positions, perceptions, values, beliefs and interests of the relevant stakeholders, (c) contemplation of the action needed to fill the gap between the desired socio-technical system and the perceived real-world situation. Learning is contextual and gradual: historically, agricultural scientists have moved from a reductionist to a holistic hard system perspective, while now slowly embracing the interpretive system perspective.     

灌溉农田高效用水研究进展与发展趋势

为提高水资源的利用率,发展高效用水农业首先要发展节水灌溉,在农业水利灌溉领域,通过分析国际先进的节水模式及水资源高效利用技术,评价我国灌溉农业高效用水工程进展。针对我国人口与水、土地等资源的矛盾问题,论述我国水资源现状和农业用水状况以及我国节水灌溉进展,指出我国农业节水灌溉现状和推广中存在问题。提出了加提高节水意识,健全节水法规,发挥政府职能,提高资金投入,不断加强节水灌溉技术创新以及落实管护责任等改进建议,激发节水灌溉工程长效运行等方式以推进我国灌溉农田高效用水发展进程。     

Economic analysis of integrated on-farm drainage management

The goal of integrated on-farm drainage management (IFDM) is to eliminate the discharge of subsurface drainage water from farms into waterways or evaporation ponds. Components of a typical IFDM system include improved irrigation practices, irrigation of salt-tolerant plants with drainage water, and on-farm disposal of drainage water using a solar evaporator. Costs of an IFDM system include initial investments, operation and maintenance, and the opportunity costs of land used for the solar evaporator and for irrigation of nonmarketable, salt-tolerant plants. The farm-level cost of an IFDM system increases with the proportion of farmland used to irrigate salt-tolerant plants. A conceptual framework for evaluating the farm-level costs of IFDM is presented, along with empirical analysis from California’s San Joaquin Valley.     

新疆灌溉农业发展与节水潜力分析

分析了新疆灌溉农业的大发展及取得的成就，针对经济社会可持续发展对水资源有续利用的客观要求，对农业灌区的节水现状进行了探讨，并从地表水资源可利用量、输水系统节水潜力、平原水库增蓄水潜力及田间灌溉节水潜力等方面对灌溉用水的节水潜力问题进行了较全面的分析和研究。