The increasing global population and dwindling water supplies make efficient use of irrigation water the prime priority in agricultural production. The importance of irrigation water efficiency is more intensified now owing to concerns about climate change, which may lead to a drier climate in the future. Even though irrigation efficiency is a term widely used by plant physiologists, agronomists, irrigation engineers, and economists, both the definition and the perspectives of the term vary with the different disciplines. This review presents and compares irrigation water use efficiency from the perspective of different disciplines. This can help researchers in different fields understand each other’s perspective and stimulate multidisciplinary thinking and research.
Th is study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the yield or profi t from a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) fi eld can be increased by irrigating only a fraction of the fi eld while keeping the rest as dryland when the irrigation water availability is suboptimal. Th e cotton growth simulation model Cotton2K was used to simulate the lint yield of cotton for diff erent amounts of available irrigation water using historic weather data for the last 110 yr in the Texas High Plains. Th e data generated were used to evaluate diff erent fi eld partitioning strategies at four diff erent amounts of total available irrigation water (150, 225, 300, and 375 mm). Th e results revealed that irrigating 30, 45, 55, and 70% of the fi eld were the best strategies to maximize both the lint yield and profi t under 150, 225, 300, and 375 mm of available irrigation water, respectively. Th e fi eld partitioning strategies had a more pronounced impact on eff ective lint yield and profi t when lower amounts of irrigation water were available and under low-rainfall conditions.
Natural resource economists have paid great attention to irrigation water allocations among competing users. However, the intrauser allocation problem is greatly understudied. As irrigation becomes increasingly capital‐intensive, inefficient within‐field allocation and ill‐designed water‐conservation policy can bring considerable value loss to the water resource. We offer a comprehensive treatment of the economic problem of the intrauser allocation of a limited amount of irrigation water. A framework is provided for determining optimal irrigation intensity and extensity in both static and dynamic settings. An empirical application in West Texas cotton production demonstrates model implementation and offers new insights into the water‐saving potential of government‐sponsored cost‐share programs for promoting high‐efficiency irrigation adoption.
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