Trends in Irrigated Agriculture Reveal Sector's Ability To Adapt to Evolving Climatic, Resource, and Market Conditions

Irrigated acreage has expanded rapidly since the passage of the Federal Reclamation Act of 1902. Nationwide, irrigated acreage grew from less than 3 million acres in 1890 to more than 58 million acres in 2017. Between 1949 and 2017, the share of U.S. irrigated cropland within the Mountain and Pacifi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Amber waves 2022-01, Vol.2022, p.1-9
Main Authors: Hrozencik, Aaron, Aillery, Marcel
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agricultural economics
Agricultural land
Agriculture
Automation
Climate change
Crop Production/Industries
Drought
Innovations
Irrigation systems
Mountains
Reclamation
Water rights
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Summary:Irrigated acreage has expanded rapidly since the passage of the Federal Reclamation Act of 1902. Nationwide, irrigated acreage grew from less than 3 million acres in 1890 to more than 58 million acres in 2017. Between 1949 and 2017, the share of U.S. irrigated cropland within the Mountain and Pacific regions decreased from 77 percent to 44 percent, while the share of irrigated cropland in the Mississippi Delta and Northern Plains regions increased from 8 percent to 34 percent. In the Pacific, Mountain, and Northern and Southern Plains regions, the share of irrigated acres using pressurized systems rose from 37 percent in 1984 to 72 percent in 2018, with innovations focused on improved precision of applied water, reduced pressurization requirements, and system automation.
ISSN:1545-8741
1545-875X
DOI:10.22004/ag.econ.317851