UN Division for Sustainable Development

Case Study Detail Record

Organization type:	Government

Name of Ministry/Agency:	Department of State

Country:	United States of America

Name of Focal Point:	Hiram Larew

Initiative Title:	Research coordination to Overcome Barriers to Microirrigation

Internet links:	http://lgu.umd.edu/lgu_v2/pages/showInfo.cfm?trackID=5254&CFID=3896218&CFTOKEN=19347802

Scope:	National: - United States of America

Status:	Ongoing

Timeframe:	Start: End:

Lead Institution:	U.S. Department of Agriculture

Stakeholders/Partners:	US Land Grant Universities, dryland farmers

Relevent issues:

Objectives/Challenges:

Although microirrigation has proven to be an efficient irrigation method, it has been adopted on only a fraction of the land area appropriate for the technology. An irrigation survey conducted in 2000 indicated there was 1.26 million hectares of microirrigation in the United States, reflecting 4.9% of the total irrigated land area. The significance and/or magnitude of barriers to adoption and the manner by which they combine and affect the decision making process are not well understood.
While great advances have been made during the last 30 years in system maintenance, filtration, and clogging prevention, clogging remains the number one cause of system failure worldwide.

One proposed advantage of microirrigation is that irrigation management (when and how much to apply) is primarily determined by patterns of consumptive water use (ET), and relatively independent of soil water storage characteristics. However, microirrigation generally requires a higher level of grower management than other systems such as sprinkler irrigation.
There are water quality and economic implications of nutrients and pesticides lost through leaching and surface runoff. Best management practices incorporating microirrigation technologies can, in many cases, reduce these losses below those occurring with other irrigation systems. Irrigation is essential for high yields and net returns for a myriad of high value crops sensitive to water stress. Microirrigation offers a significant potential for improved water and nutrient application and use, but is not being fully utilized.

Next steps: The use of microirrigation is rapidly increasing around the world, and it is expected to continue to be a viable irrigation method for agricultural production in the foreseeable future. With increasing demands on limited water resources and the need to minimize environmental consequences of irrigation, microirrigation technology will undoubtedly play an even more important role in the future. Microirrigation provides many unique agronomic and water and energy conservation benefits that address many of the challenges facing irrigated agriculture, now and in the future.

Lessons Learned:

Microirrigation has significant potential for improving irrigation efficiency and nutrient management, but continued research is needed to overcome barriers to microirrigation adoption on an international scale.
Irrigated agriculture is facing increasing public pressure and the threat of increased regulation. These pressures include limited water resources; competition between urban, industrial, wildlife, recreation, and irrigation users; water quality degradation, and the economics. Municipal, industrial, and environmental groups are increasingly concerned with the fact that nearly 80% of the annual consumptive water use in United States is for irrigated agriculture. In some instances poor irrigation practices have resulted in environmental degradation due to the transport of nutrients, pesticides, salt, and trace elements to surface and ground waters.

Summary:

Key Results: A coordinated research program across USDA and U.S. Land Grant Universities may help expand the use of microirrigation, which can save money for farmers and reduce environmental impacts.

• Research efforts initially focused on evaluating and refining microirrigation management strategies to promote natural resource protection and optimal crop production.

• Current research objectives are to identify and assess the significance of barriers to adoption of microirrigation. This research will reduce technical barriers associated with system design, performance, and maintenance, and reduce existing water and nutrient management barriers.