Water management practices: Irrigated Cropland

Eisenhauer, D.E. and Bjorneberg, D. and Westermann, D. (2006) Water management practices: Irrigated Cropland. In: Schnepf, M. and Cox, C., (eds.) Environmental Benefits of Conservation on Cropland: The Status of Our Knowledge (1st Edition). pp. 131-148. Soil and Water Conservation Society, Ankeny, IA.

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Abstract

Irrigation is practiced on about 17 percent of
the world's arable land. Irrigated land accounts
for 33 percent of the world's food production
(FAO, 1988) and contributes greatly to the economy
in many agricultural regions. In developing
countries, nearly 60 percent of rice and wheat
production used for food is grown on irrigated
cropland. The United Nation's Food and Agriculture
Organization (1988) estimates that about
two-thirds of the increase in arable land needed
to produce food crops by 2050 will be irrigated.
Along with the significant economic impact of
irrigated agriculture, however, come significant
environmental and natural resource impacts.
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
conservation programs commonly are used to
improve irrigation systems and their management
in an attempt to reduce the impacts of irrigation
on the environment and natural resources.

Item Type:	Book Section
NWISRL Publication Number:	1199
Subjects:	Water > Water management Mass Import - autoclassified (may be erroneous)
Depositing User:	Users 6 not found.
Date Deposited:	20 Nov 2010 21:55
Last Modified:	01 Nov 2016 15:23
Item ID:	831
URI:	https://eprints.nwisrl.ars.usda.gov/id/eprint/831