Agriculture and Water Management: Strategies for Precision On-Farm Water Management

Abstract

Water is a foundational component of supporting ecosystems, the climate, and all living organisms. Fresh water drives all global systems, but most specifically agriculture and livestock. Agricultural industries’ consumption of water accounts for 70% of all water that is consumed annually. Of the 2 quadrillion gallons of water that are used, upwards of 40% is lost due to water inefficiency and waste. Such losses contribute to rises in poverty levels, food insecurity, GDP declines by as much as 6%, and water shortages. With the global population expected to reach almost 10 billion by 2050, there is a clear need to optimize agricultural production by enhancing water use efficiency. These alarming statistics emphasize the need to transition to more sustainable water management systems. The objective of this review is to identify and evaluate three precision on-farm water management strategies to improve water use efficiency and reduce waste in agriculture. In doing so, this research aims to support sustainable agricultural practices, meet USDA AFRI (Agriculture and Food Research Initiative) priority area “Agriculture Systems and Technology”, and reach UN Sustainability Goal 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), Goal 9 (Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure), and Goal 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production). In this paper, the precision irrigation techniques, drip irrigation and variable-rate irrigation (VRI) systems will be discussed. Next, drought-resistant crops (DRCs) and their benefits to farmers when relation to waste prevention will be investigated. Lastly, the study will explore modular floating covers as a form of dam evaporation control. Although these methods of preserving water and increasing water efficiency are extremely beneficial while already having been implemented for on-farm systems, there is room for further technological improvements.