Irrigated agriculture and groundwater resources – towards an integrated vision and sustainable relationship

Foster, Stephen; Garduño, Héctor

doi:10.2166/wst.2013.654

Cited by 16 publications

(11 citation statements)

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“…These amounts are equal to about 1.3 ± 0.4, 0.7 ± 0.2, 3.0 ± 0.9 and 1.5 ± 0.4 million ha for winter wheat in the NCP, based on a yield of 6.6 Mg ha −1 of winter wheat in the NCP in 2012, accounting for 11.4%, 6.1%, 26.3% and 13.2% of the total winter wheat sown (11.4 million ha) in the NCP [27]. The possible region for cutting winter wheat by recommending PSF locate at NCP-I in Figure S1, where it is facing a rapid depletion of groundwater due to excessive irrigation for winter wheat [28,40]. Some recent studies have been carried out, on the possibility of saving irrigation water by converting to a winter wheat–summer maize–spring maize crops system, over a two-year period, rather than the typical winter wheat–summer maize double-cropping system, in the NCP [41,42].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In this study, we assumed rice reduction only in early rice planting, because it has lower yield and quality compared to medium and late rice. We also assumed that the decrease in winter wheat sowing would occur in the NCP, because this region is facing rapid depletion of groundwater due to the planting of winter wheat needs for excessive ground water for irrigation [28,29]. The reductions of early rice and winter wheat in the NCP were calculated by the substituting rice and wheat grain with potatoes, divided by per unit area yield of early rice across China and winter wheat in the NCP.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Comprehensive Environmental Assessment of Potato as Staple Food Policy in China

Gao

Huang

Xue

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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The Chinese government projected 30% of total consumed potatoes as a staple food (PSF) by 2020. We comprehensively assessed the potential impacts of PSF on rice and flour consumption, rice and wheat planting, energy and nutrient supply, irrigation-water, chemical nitrogen (N), phosphorus pentoxide (P2O5) and potassium oxide (K2O) fertilizer inputs and total greenhouse gases (GHG) emission for potatoes, rice and wheat, by assuming different proportions of potato substitutes for rice and flour. The results showed that per capita, 2.9 ± 0.3 and 4.7 ± 0.5 kg more potatoes per year would enter the Chinese staple-food diet, under the government’s target. PSF consumed are expected to reach 5.2 ± 0.7 Tg yr−1, equivalent to substituting potatoes for 4.2 ± 0.8–8.5 ± 0.8 Tg yr−1 wheat and 5.1 ± 0.9–10.1 ± 1.8 Tg yr−1 rice under different scenarios. While this substitution can increase the nutrient supply index by 63% towards nutrient reference values, it may induce no significant effect on staple-food energy supply with lower chemical fertilizer (except for K2O) and irrigation-water inputs and GHG emissions in different substitution scenarios than the business as usual scenario. The reduction in rice and wheat demands lead to wheat in the North China Plain and early rice decrease by 6.1–11.4% and 12.1–24.1%, respectively. The total GHG reduction is equal to 1.1–9.0% of CO2 equivalent associated with CH4 and N2O emitted from the Chinese agroecosystem in 2005. The saved irrigation water for three crops compared to 2012 reaches the total water use of 17.9 ± 4.9–21.8 ± 5.9 million people in 2015. More N fertilizer, irrigation-water, and GHG can be reduced, if the PSF ratio is increased to 50% together with potato yield improves to the optimal level. Our results implied that the PSF policy is worth doing not only because of the healthier diets, but also to mitigate resource inputs and GHG emissions and it also supports agricultural structure adjustments in the areas of irrigated wheat on the North China Plain and early rice across China, designed to increase the adaptability to climate change.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Comprehensive Environmental Assessment of Potato as Staple Food Policy in China

Gao

Huang

Xue

et al. 2019

IJERPH

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“…Some of the issues become more concrete when looking at a smaller subunit, Guantao county in Handan prefecture. This area is frequently used as an example, typical of many of the counties in North China Plain, to illustrate what is necessary to reach a balanced groundwater budget [ Foster and Garduño , ]. The aquifer system is composed of a shallow phreatic aquifer and a deeper confined aquifer.…”

Section: Case Studies In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall, water efficiency has improved considerably over the last 50 years in North China Plain [ Jia et al ., ]. In Guantao, a World Bank project described in Foster and Garduño [] introduced subsurface pipe irrigation, which saves water by reducing unproductive evaporation and allowing more water to go either to productive evapotranspiration or to groundwater recharge. Ideally, this innovation could reduce irrigation diversions by 25%.…”

Section: Case Studies In Chinamentioning

confidence: 99%

Food security and sustainable resource management

McLaughlin

Kinzelbach

2015

Water Resources Research

116

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The projected growth in global food demand until mid-century will challenge our ability to continue recent increases in crop yield and will have a significant impact on natural resources. The water and land requirements of current agriculture are significantly less than global reserves but local shortages are common and have serious impacts on food security. Recent increases in global trade have mitigated some of the effects of spatial and temporal variability. However, trade has a limited impact on low-income populations who remain dependent on subsistence agriculture and local resources. Potential adverse environmental impacts of increased agricultural production include unsustainable depletion of water and soil resources, major changes in the global nitrogen and phosphorous cycles, human health problems related to excessive nutrient and pesticide use, and loss of habitats that contribute to agricultural productivity. Some typical case studies from China illustrate the connections between the need for increased food production and environmental stress. Sustainable options for decreasing food demand and for increasing production include reduction of food losses on both the producer and consumer ends, elimination of unsustainable practices such as prolonged groundwater overdraft, closing of yield gaps with controlled expansions of fertilizer application, increases in crop yield and pest resistance through advances in biotechnology, and moderate expansion of rain fed and irrigated cropland. Calculations based on reasonable assumptions suggest that such measures could meet the food needs of an increasing global population while protecting the environment.

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“…The global boom in groundwater irrigation in the world's more arid areas is observed. 38% of the total cultivated land under irrigation is equipped by water wells (Foster, Garduño 2013). Currently, the oasis areas are subject to excessive exploitation (uncontrolled pumping out) of alluvial groundwater.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Assessment of the quality and irrigation purpose suitability of alluvial water in Erfoud, Morocco

Latos

Szczucińska

Kozłowski

2019

Quaestiones Geographicae

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Dry areas are especially exposed to the risk of water shortages and elevated mineralization. High water salinity, caused by low precipitation, high evaporation and human impact, usually strongly limits the use of the water for irrigation. The aim of the study was to assess the quality and irrigation purpose suitability of alluvial water in the Erfoud oasis, Morocco. The samples of water were collected from 20 wells in June 2017. We observed excessive concentrations of many parameters i.a.: NO3, Cd, Ni, Na, NH4, Cl, SO4, Fe, Cr. To determine the possibility to use the water for irrigation purposes, the Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR), sodium percentage (%Na), permeability index (PI), Kelly’s ratio (KR), magnesium hazards (MH) and electrical conductivity (EC) were assessed. The values of KR and MH qualified the waters as unsuitable for irrigation purposes. The observed %Na indicates that the groundwater is permissible for irrigation purposes, and permeability index, that it is of moderate quality. However, water classification using the SAR vs EC diagram confirms its high and very high alkali and salinity hazard. The mean EC value of the water was 9.5 mS cm−1.

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Irrigated agriculture and groundwater resources – towards an integrated vision and sustainable relationship

Cited by 16 publications

References 0 publications

Comprehensive Environmental Assessment of Potato as Staple Food Policy in China

Comprehensive Environmental Assessment of Potato as Staple Food Policy in China

Food security and sustainable resource management

Assessment of the quality and irrigation purpose suitability of alluvial water in Erfoud, Morocco

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