The best farm-level irrigation strategy changes seasonally with fluctuating water availability

• Published in: Agricultural water management 2012, Vol.103, p.33-42
• Main Authors: Gaydon, D.S., Meinke, H., Rodriguez, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adaptation; Agricultural and farming systems; Agricultural and forest climatology and meteorology. Irrigation. Drainage; agriculture; Agronomy. Soil science and plant productions; australia; Availability; Biological and medical sciences; climate-change; Crops; deficit irrigation; farmers; Farming; Farming systems modelling; Farms; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; General agroecology. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development. Rural area planning. Landscaping; General agronomy. Plant production; Generalities. Agricultural and farming systems. Agricultural development; irrigated farming; Irrigation; irrigation rates; markets; new crops; new-south-wales; productivity; Resource allocation; rice; simulation models; Strategy; systems simulation; use efficiency; Water supplies; water supply; Whole farm modelling
• ISSN: 0378-3774; 1873-2283
• DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2011.10.015

► The best farm management strategy varies seasonally, depending primarily on the irrigation allocation level. ► In seasons with high water allocations, aiming for maximum crop yields in each field makes sense. ► In low allocation seasons, maximizing land utilization through deficit irrigation can yield better farm results. ► The law of diminishing returns becomes important when water, rather than land, is the limiting factor in production. Around the globe farmers managing irrigated crops face a future with a decreased and more variable water supply. To investigate generic adaptation issues, a range of on-farm strategies were evaluated for apportioning limited water between fields and enterprises using a typical case-study farm from Australia's Riverina region. These strategies are compared for a range of seasonal water availability levels. The analysis did not address investment in new irrigation technologies or new crops, but focussed on irrigation intensity and crop choice amongst existing enterprises. Participatory engagement and whole-farm simulation modelling were our primary tools of research. The adaptation options found to best suit irrigation farming in years of high water availability were substantially different to those when water supplies were low. This illustrates strategic differences between irrigation farming in land-limited circumstances and water-limited circumstances. Our study indicates that the cropping and irrigation strategy leading to greatest farm returns changes on a season-by-season basis, depending primarily on the water availability level.