Irrigation Efficiency and Conservation

Can agriculture be efficient? Can it be sustained?

2014 Annual Water Seminar: Colorado River District
Dr. Perry Cabot, Colorado State University
Grand Junction, CO
September 19, 2014

The Big Thrist (2011)

The three things that we have taken to be
the natural state of our water supply
abundant, cheap, and safe will not be
present together in the decades ahead.
We are on the verge of a second modern
water revolution.
Fishman, C. 2011. The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water. Free Press: New York, NY.

SOURCE: http://www.nationalgeographic.com/foodfeatures/feeding-9-billion/

Food is critical to our population.

Thank you, Captain Obvious!

Accomplishing this feat will require

innovative uses of technology,
management (people), natural
resources and policy.

The basin and statewide dialog

deals with how agriculture can
contribute (water) to address
existing shortages.

Two basic strategies:

Conservation and Efficiency

The terms conservation and

efficiency are often used
interchangeably, leading to
confusion of methods to address
water shortages.

Defining these terms is important to

correctly inform the societal views
of irrigated farming and its benefits,
supplying high quality, abundant
food to feed our growing population.

Howell, T.A. 2003. Irrigation Efficiency. Encyclopedia of Water Science. Marcel Dekker: New York, NY. pp 467-472.

Lets take a look at conservation.

Conservation is about reducing
crop, field or farm water demand.
There will be a downward effect on
yields (for similar crops).

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Conservation by row-crop fallowing

Irrigation Water Supply

Fallow
Corn Field
Field

Conserved CU Water
Saved Water

Consumptive Use
Soil Moisture Deficit?

Return Flow

Because the crop is gone, fallowing obviously lowers yields.

EXAMPLES: Compensated rotational fallowing, Leasing,
Change of use, Buy-and-Dry
+ break disease cycles, soil health, retire marginal lands, shift
the crop mix
without proper transition, soil conditions could worsen
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Conservation by deficit irrigation

Irrigation Water Supply

Alfalfa Field

Conserved CU Water

Yield Loss

Saved Water

Consumptive Use
Return Flow

For a given yield goal, a conservation approach alone will

result in lower yields.
Doing less with less (Less yield Less diversion)
+ foster targeted irrigation to critical growth stages
riskier, challenges in water court?
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Conservation by split-season irrigation

Irrigation Water Supply

Conserved CU
Saved Water

Alfalfa Field

Yield Loss
Soil Moisture?

Consumptive Use
Return Flow

Split-season irrigation is another conservation approach

Doing less with less (Less yield Less diversion)
+ administratively easier because diversion does not take place,
quicker in effectiveness against shortages
soil moisture forbearance, nematodes, forage quality
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Now lets take a look at efficiency.

Efficiency is about reducing water
losses.
Conversion of potential benefit into
actual benefit.
Effect on yields should be negligible
or even positive.
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Basic Definition: Irrigation Efficiency

Quantitatively, efficiency is the ratio of
the volume of water which is beneficially
used to the volume of irrigation water
applied.

ASCE. 1978. Describing Irrigation Efficiency and Uniformity. Journal of the Irrigation and Drainage Division. 104: 3541.

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Irrigation Concepts

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Efficiency by Tech or Management

Irrigation Water Supply

Alfalfa Field

Consumptive Use
Saved Water

Return Flow

For a given yield goal, an efficiency approach alone has the

goal of maintaining yields.
Doing the same with less (Same yield Less leakage)
+ yields can improve, labor costs lower, change to crop mix,
buffer drought and climate change, water quality improvement
higher cost, learning curve, system pressure must support
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Research has already proven that greater

efficiencies are entirely possible.
Farmers need reasonable incentives.

Expected Irrigation Efficiencies

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Sprinkler Irrigated Land

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Simple Irrigation Scheduling

Employ tools for soil moisture monitoring

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Irrigated Corn

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Irrigated Corn

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Conservation versus Efficiency

Conservation Strategy

Alfalfa Field
Yield Loss
Consumptive Use

Conserved CU Water
Saved Water

Efficiency Strategy

Return Flow

Alfalfa Field
No yield loss or increase yield
Consumptive Use

Saved Water

Return Flow

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Simultaneously practicing conservation

and efficiency is possible.

New crops bring new risks.

Alternative Crops or Vanguard Cropping

Alternative Crops

Conserved CU Water

Consumptive Use

Saved Water

Return Flow

For a given yield goal, a conservation approach alone will

result in lower yields.
Doing something different with less (New Less diversion)
Introduces profitability as an issue what kind of condition are
we trying to maintain? Cash flow? Is there a market?
Glennon, R. 2009. Unquenchable: Americas Water Crisis and What to do About it. Island Press: New York, NY.

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Alfalfa Cropping in California

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Irrigation Scheduling with Telemetry

Saha, R., S. Raghuwanshi, S.K. Upadhyaya, W.W. Wallender, D.C. Slaughter. 2011. Water sensors with cellular system eliminate
tailwater drainage in alfalfa irrigation. California Agriculture. 65(4): 202-207.

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Reduced tailwater runoff

to 5-10% of applied water

Arnold, B.J., S.K. Upadhyaya, J. Roach, P.S. Kanannavar, D.H. Putnam. 2014. Water advance model and sensor system can reduce
tail runoff in irrigated alfalfa fields. California Agriculture. 68(3): 82-88.

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Onion Farming in the Uncompaghre

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NoChicoBrush (NCB) Site Design

Onion field near Olathe, CO

Base Station

System 1 - Drip
System 2 - Furrow
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Water Budget

Metered Irrigation Monitoring

Tailwater Flume Monitoring

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NoChicoBrush (NCB) Site Data

Site Name

Acreage

Metered

Rainfall

Irrigation

Actual ET

Furrow - Field Corn

1.6

63.1 ac-in

3.7 in/ac

39.4 in/ac

23.8 in/ac

Sprinkler - Field Corn

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1321.7 ac-in

3.7 in/ac

28.7 in/ac

23.8 in/ac

Furrow - Onion

1.0

32.1 ac-in

5.0 in/ac

32.1 in/ac

20.8 in/ac

Drip Onion

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547.5 ac-in

5.0 in/ac

19.6 in/ac

24.7 in/ac

ASCE (1978) Irrigation efficiency (IE) calculated against

Penman-Kimberly ETc (Wright, 1981).
Furrow and Sprinkler IE values for corn fields = 51% vs 70%
Furrow and Drip IE values for onion fields = 50% vs ~99%

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NoChicoBrush Irrigation Research Sites

70000

(onions planted 4/5/2014)

IWUE (furrow) = 1790 lb

Yield (lb/acre)

65000

IWUE (drip)

in-1

68106

= 3774 lb in-1

60000

57440
55000

50000

Furrow Irrigation

Drip Irrigation

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NoChicoBrush Irrigation Research Sites

6000

Furrow Irrigation

Drip Irrigation

Total Count

5000
4000
3000
2000
1000
0
Colossal

Jumbo

Medium

Pre-Pack

Onion Size Category

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Farming in the Future

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Remote Sensing of ET in Agriculture

Final Thoughts
Twenty years ago, did you think youd be
carrying a phone in your pocket?
How about a computer?
We used to think the cloud was just
water vapor!
Underlying this technology is the societal
trend towards efficiency.
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Eating patterns will likely shift.

The next generation of farmers will be more
efficient tech-driven.
In next 50 years, humans must produce as
much food as has been produced in history.
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