Examining the perceptions and behaviours of farmers regarding the installation of covers over irrigation ponds: Evidence from South-east Spain

López-Felices, Belén; Aznar-Sánchez, José A.; Velasco-Muñoz, Juan F.; Mesa-Vázquez, Ernesto

doi:10.1016/j.agwat.2022.107999

Cited by 4 publications

(3 citation statements)

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“…The private sector and individual farm managers must make economically rational investments in a climate of increasing risk and uncertainty (Kiem & Austin, 2013). The marginal cost of purchasing, transporting, installing, operating, and maintaining the product must exceed or be equal to the market price of the water saved (Akbar et al., 2013), and/or product installation must confer additional benefits (Lopez‐Felices et al., 2023; Maestre‐Valero et al., 2013; Schmidt et al., 2020). In this review, we have compiled recommendations on the suitability of five generic product categories to assist water managers to select the most appropriate option for the size of a specific storage and the water residence time (Table 6).…”

Section: Product Suitability Recommendations For Water Managersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The barriers to the adoption of new technologies at the farm scale include uncertainties in seasonal climatic conditions, water security, water management policy, water and commodity pricing policies, market access (Baillie, 2008; Kiem, 2013), and the disconnect between the priorities of research and development and the information end‐users need to purchase and operate a product (Kiem & Austin, 2013). In South‐east Spain, technical and agronomic factors limited the adoption of physical covers by farmers to reduce evaporative loss from irrigation storages, with economic and environmental factors of secondary importance (Lopez‐Felices et al., 2023). In Australia where improving water use efficiency is a high priority for farmers, the adoption of commercially available evaporation reduction products has been limited (Schmidt et al., 2020).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Of the four suspended continuous covers, 12 floating modular covers and two mono‐molecular chemical films available in 2012 (Schmidt & Scobie, 2012), only one suspended continuous cover, three floating continuous and two floating modular covers, and one chemical film were still available in 2020. Impediments to adoption include the preference for local face‐to‐face information exchange, and the lack of access to objective information on the suitability and performance of products for regional climatic and operational conditions (Baillie, 2008; Kiem & Austin, 2013; Lopez‐Felices et al., 2023). In our review, published information on the mode of action, environmental impact, the installation, operational, and maintenance requirements, and the reduction in evaporative loss achieved with commercially available physical and chemical covers was reviewed to assess the suitability of each product category for open water storages varying in size and operational management.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Evaporative loss and environmental impact of covers on water storages: A review

2023

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Commercial products to reduce evaporation from water storages have been developed since the 1960s. Categorised as suspended and floating continuous covers, floating modular covers, and monomolecular (monolayer) and multimolecular chemical films, product adoption by agricultural water managers is low. The role of evaporation reduction in improving water use efficiency is well established, but information on the suitability of product categories for farm water storages is lacking. We reviewed the environmental and operational performance of commercial evaporation reduction products using published and supplier information on design, mode of action, installation, operation, maintenance, the evaporation reduction achieved, and the impact on water quality, to analyze the suitability of the five product classes for water storages ranging in size from ≤2 to 100 ha. Span loading, cable tensioning and anchorage limit continuous covers to storages ≤2 ha. The cover fabric must reduce light transmittance by 80%, to reduce evaporation by 71%. Ballasting, tethering, and removal during dry times limit the use of continuous floating covers to storages ≤2 ha, managed close to full capacity. Floating modules must cover 88% of the surface to reduce evaporation by 70%, limiting their use to storages of ≤5 ha. Monolayer application is more flexible, but smart product selection and automated application strategies are required to improve performance. The number of application sites required to achieve full surface coverage limits monolayer use to storages ≤100 ha. Higher rates of application and poor self-spreading may limit multimolecular films to storages ≤10 ha.

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