Understanding irrigation water use efficiency at different scales for better policy reform: a case study of the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia

Water Policy ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-17 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. Ejaz Qureshi ◽  
R. Quentin Grafton ◽  
Mac Kirby ◽  
Munir A. Hanjra
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Agricultural Sector ◽  
Environmental Flows ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Environmental Consequences ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Murray Darling Basin ◽  
Use Efficiency

This paper examines water use efficiency and economic efficiency with a particular focus on the Murray-Darling Basin of Australia and the stated policy goal of increasing environmental flows of water in the Basin. The different measures of efficiency are explained, and their implications for water reform and the efficacy of market based approaches to addressing the water scarcity issues and environmental flow needs are explored. Public policies to subsidize investments for improvements in irrigation efficiency are shown not to be currently cost effective compared to alternatives, such as buying water through water markets. The implications of these findings, and the factors that determine the demand for irrigation water by competing uses, can guide policy makers undertaking water reforms in the agricultural sector to mitigate the environmental consequences of overuse of water resources.

scholarly journals Effect of Deficit Irrigation and Reduced N Fertilization on Plant Growth, Root Morphology and Water Use Efficiency of Tomato Grown in Soilless Culture

Agronomy ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 228
Author(s):  
Ikram Ullah ◽  
Hanping Mao ◽  
Ghulam Rasool ◽  
Hongyan Gao ◽  
Qaiser Javed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
N Fertilization ◽  
Water Levels ◽  
Growth And Yield ◽  
Root Surface Area ◽  
Irrigation Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of various irrigation water (W) and nitrogen (N) levels on growth, root-shoot morphology, yield, and irrigation water use efficiency of greenhouse tomatoes in spring–summer and fall–winter. The experiment consisted of three irrigation water levels (W: 100% of crop evapotranspiration (ETc), 80%, and 60% of full irrigation) and three N application levels (N: 100%, 75%, and 50% of the standard nitrogen concentration in Hoagland’s solution treatments equivalent to 15, 11.25, 7.5 mM). All the growth parameters of tomato significantly decreased (p < 0.05) with the decrease in the amount of irrigation and nitrogen application. Results depicted that a slight decrease in irrigation and an increase in N supply improved average root diameter, total root length, and root surface area, while the interaction was observed non-significant at average diameter of roots. Compared to the control, W80 N100 was statistically non-significant in photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. The W80 N100 resulted in a yield decrease of 2.90% and 8.75% but increased irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) by 21.40% and 14.06%. Among interactions, the reduction in a single factor at W80 N100 and W100 N75 compensated the growth and yield. Hence, W80 N100 was found to be optimal regarding yield and IWUE, with 80% of irrigation water and 15 mM of N fertilization for soilless tomato production in greenhouses.

scholarly journals An Analytical View on Water Use Efficiency of Some Main Crops Grown in the Non-costal Parts of Thrace Region

2020 ◽  
pp. 47-57
Author(s):  
Recep Cakir
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Soil Depth ◽  
Growth Stages ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Rainfed Farming ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Thrace Region

The article contains data obtained from evaluations related to irrigation water use efficiency (IWUE) and water use efficiency (WUE), for the main crops, irrigated at different stages of growth, on the basis of some findings obtained in the Research Institute in Kırklareli. Each of the experimental crops was sown and farmed following procedures applied by the farmers in the region, except of the irrigation applications which were based on the sensitivity of a certain crop to water shortage in the soil, during the specific growth stages. Similar procedures were applied and all the experimental treatments were irrigated at growth stages, as predicted in the research methodology, and water amounts required to fill the 0-90 cm soil depth to field capacity were implied. Evaluation data obtained from the field experiments with three major crops, grown on the non-coastal lands of Thrace Region showed, that the productivity of irrigation water, as well as water use efficiencies of all analysed crops, are growth stage controlled. The highest IWUE and WUE efficiencies of 0.87 and 0.92 kg da-1 m-3; and 1.08 kg da-1 m-3 and 0.81 kg da-1 m-3; were determined for wheat and sunflower crops, irrigated at booting and flowering stages, respectively. Each m3 of irrigation water, applied during the most sensitive fruit formation stage (Ff) of pumpkin crop, provided additionally 8.47 kg da-1 fruit yield, 8.09 fruit numbers and 0.28 kg da-1 seed yields, more than those of rainfed farming (R).

scholarly journals Optimization of irrigation water use efficiency evaluation indicators based on DPSIR-ISD model

2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 83-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
Liu Dong ◽  
Zhou Lihui ◽  
Li Heng ◽  
Fu Qiang ◽  
Li Mo ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Sanjiang Plain ◽  
Irrigation Water Use Efficiency ◽  
The Sanjiang Plain ◽  
The Sustainable Development ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency ◽  
Agricultural Water Resources

Abstract The evaluation of irrigation water efficiency plays an important role in the efficient use of agricultural water resources and the sustainable development of agriculture. In order to make the evaluation of irrigation water use efficiency indicators more comprehensive and scientific, this paper constructs a new optimal model of evaluation indicators. By combining the Driver-Pressure-State-Impact-Response (DPSIR) model with the Information Significance Difference (ISD) evaluation indicators model, a novel DPSIR-ISD evaluation indicators combination model was constructed. Ten riverside irrigation areas in the Sanjiang Plain of northeastern China were selected for analysis. The results show that the DPSIR-ISD model was used to reduce the number of indicators from 44 to 14; these 14 indicators reflected 91.88% of the original information. The DPSIR-ISD method proposed in this paper takes into account the completeness and simplicity of the indicators system, and is more in line with the actual situation in the field. These results can provide a simpler and more convenient system for optimizing indicators for the study of evaluation indicators used to analyze irrigation water use efficiency.

scholarly journals Analysis of Irrigation Canal System Characteristics in Heilongjiang Province and the Influence on Irrigation Water Use Efficiency

Water ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (8) ◽  
pp. 1101 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tianxiao Li ◽  
Mengxin Sun ◽  
Qiang Fu ◽  
Song Cui ◽  
Dong Liu
Keyword(s):  
Fractal Dimension ◽  
Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Water Use ◽  
Irrigation Water ◽  
Heilongjiang Province ◽  
Canal System ◽  
Irrigation Water Use Efficiency ◽  
Irrigation Districts ◽  
Irrigation Water Use ◽  
Use Efficiency

Irrigation water use efficiency is a primary evaluation index that links economic production development with the efficient use of water resources. Canal water conveyance is an important part of irrigation, and the distribution characteristics of canal systems have an important influence on irrigation water use efficiency. In this paper, 75 irrigated districts in Heilongjiang Province in 2015 were selected as the study objects. The main, branch, lateral, and sublateral canals were graded into first-, second-, third-, and fourth-order classes, respectively. The irrigation districts were divided into three classes, that is, four-order, three-order, and two-order, according to the canal orders that the irrigation districts contained. The canal system framework was described by Horton’s law. The fractal dimension of the canal system was calculated based on the bifurcation ratio and length ratio of the canals. The relationships between fractal dimensions and irrigation water use efficiency were evaluated. The results showed that the irrigation water use efficiency of the four-order and three-order irrigation districts initially increased and then decreased with increases in the fractal dimension (D). In the irrigation districts, an irrigation water use efficiency of more than 10 × 103 hm2 and less than 0.67 × 103 hm2 was proportional to the increase in the fractal dimension, whereas the opposite result was found for districts with (0.67–10) × 103 hm2. The irrigation water use efficiency of the four-order and two-order irrigation districts with less than 3.3 × 103 hm2 had the greatest potential to increase the water use efficiency. Therefore, canal system reconstruction suggestions for different irrigation districts were provided. The results have important theoretical significance and practical value for the improvement of irrigation construction and the promotion of irrigation water efficiency planning.

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