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Modelling and mapping the economic value of supplemental irrigation in a humid climate

Author

Listed:
  • Rey, D.
  • Holman, I.P.
  • Daccache, A.
  • Morris, J.
  • Weatherhead, E.K.
  • Knox, J.W.

Abstract

Irrigation is an essential component of crop production to meet retailer demands for premium quality when rainfall is insufficient. Under drought conditions, irrigation can be constrained by water resources availability, with consequent impacts on yield, quality and revenue. Whilst most agriculture in Europe is rainfed, greater dependence on supplemental irrigation could become more important in humid environments due to a changing climate with greater rainfall uncertainty and higher frequency of droughts. By combining industry and farm level economic data, with geospatial information on agricultural land use, agroclimate, soils and irrigation practices within a GIS, this paper estimates the total financial benefit of outdoor irrigated production in England and Wales assuming no constraints in resource availability and optimal irrigation practices. The analysis suggests that the total net benefits of irrigation in a ‘design’ dry year are around £665 million, with an average irrigation water productivity in excess of £3.3 per m3 (close to £1.1 per m3 excluding soft fruit). Map outputs highlight significant regional differences in water productivity reflecting the composition of land use and the importance of crop mix in determining economic value. A sensitivity analysis to changes in agroclimate, market conditions (crop prices) and water supply (costs) illustrates how the benefits might change under contrasting scenario. The study highlights the importance of supplemental irrigation, even in a humid climate, and the risks that future droughts and/or constraints in water resource availability might have on agricultural systems, livelihoods and the rural economy. The implications for water resources and drought management are discussed.

Suggested Citation

  • Rey, D. & Holman, I.P. & Daccache, A. & Morris, J. & Weatherhead, E.K. & Knox, J.W., 2016. "Modelling and mapping the economic value of supplemental irrigation in a humid climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 13-22.
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:agiwat:v:173:y:2016:i:c:p:13-22
    DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2016.04.017
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    Cited by:

    1. Lauri Ahopelto & Noora Veijalainen & Joseph H. A. Guillaume & Marko Keskinen & Mika Marttunen & Olli Varis, 2019. "Can There be Water Scarcity with Abundance of Water? Analyzing Water Stress during a Severe Drought in Finland," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 11(6), pages 1-18, March.
    2. Rishma Chengot & Jerry W. Knox & Ian P. Holman, 2021. "Evaluating the Feasibility of Water Sharing as a Drought Risk Management Tool for Irrigated Agriculture," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 13(3), pages 1-16, January.
    3. Rio, M. & Rey, D. & Prudhomme, C. & Holman, I.P., 2018. "Evaluation of changing surface water abstraction reliability for supplemental irrigation under climate change," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 206(C), pages 200-208.
    4. Hillary Mugiyo & Vimbayi G. P. Chimonyo & Mbulisi Sibanda & Richard Kunz & Cecilia R. Masemola & Albert T. Modi & Tafadzwanashe Mabhaudhi, 2021. "Evaluation of Land Suitability Methods with Reference to Neglected and Underutilised Crop Species: A Scoping Review," Land, MDPI, vol. 10(2), pages 1-24, January.
    5. Sutcliffe, Chloe & Knox, Jerry & Hess, Tim, 2021. "Managing irrigation under pressure: How supply chain demands and environmental objectives drive imbalance in agricultural resilience to water shortages," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    6. Schattman, Rachel E. & Jean, Haley & Faulkner, Joshua W. & Maden, Rebecca & McKeag, Lisa & Nelson, Katie Campbell & Grubinger, Vernon & Burnett, Stephanie & Erich, M. Susan & Ohno, Tsutomu, 2023. "Effects of irrigation scheduling approaches on soil moisture and vegetable production in the Northeastern U.S.A," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 287(C).
    7. Parsons, David J. & Rey, Dolores & Tanguy, Maliko & Holman, Ian P., 2019. "Regional variations in the link between drought indices and reported agricultural impacts of drought," Agricultural Systems, Elsevier, vol. 173(C), pages 119-129.
    8. Avinash Bharti & Kunwar Paritosh & Venkata Ravibabu Mandla & Aakash Chawade & Vivekanand Vivekanand, 2021. "GIS Application for the Estimation of Bioenergy Potential from Agriculture Residues: An Overview," Energies, MDPI, vol. 14(4), pages 1-15, February.
    9. Zhen, Jingbo & Lazarovitch, Naftali & Tripler, Effi, 2020. "Effects of fruit load intensity and irrigation level on fruit quality, water productivity and net profits of date palms," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 241(C).
    10. Julio Cesar Pascale Palhares & Esther R. Afonso & Augusto H. Gameiro, 2019. "Reducing the water cost in livestock with adoption of best practices," Environment, Development and Sustainability: A Multidisciplinary Approach to the Theory and Practice of Sustainable Development, Springer, vol. 21(4), pages 2013-2023, August.
    11. Morris, J. & Else, M.A. & El Chami, D. & Daccache, A. & Rey, D. & Knox, J.W., 2017. "Essential irrigation and the economics of strawberries in a temperate climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 194(C), pages 90-99.
    12. Paoletti, J. Mitchell & Shortridge, Julie E., 2020. "Improved representation of uncertainty in farm-level financial cost-benefit analyses of supplemental irrigation in humid regions," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 239(C).

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