More ‘crop per drop’: constraints and opportunities for precision irrigation in European agriculture

Monaghan, James; Daccache, André; Vickers, Laura H.; Hess, Tim; Grove, Ivan G.; Knox, Jerry W.

doi:10.1002/jsfa.6051

Cited by 83 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…Such crops would combine elevated WUE and high yields similar to plants cultivated under deficit irrigation (39). The plants engineered for water productivity, however, would offer the advantage that no technical equipment is necessary for establishing enhanced WUE and saving soil-borne water to better withstand periods of drought.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The plants engineered for water productivity, however, would offer the advantage that no technical equipment is necessary for establishing enhanced WUE and saving soil-borne water to better withstand periods of drought. The identification of ABA receptors for providing water productivity will aid in breeding programs and biotechnical efforts to reduce unsustainable water withdrawal (40) and to generate "more crop per drop" (35,39,41).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Leveraging abscisic acid receptors for efficient water use in Arabidopsis

Yang

Liu

Tischer

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

112

141

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Plant growth requires the influx of atmospheric CO 2 through stomatal pores, and this carbon uptake for photosynthesis is inherently associated with a large efflux of water vapor. Under water deficit, plants reduce transpiration and are able to improve carbon for water exchange leading to higher water use efficiency (WUE). Whether increased WUE can be achieved without trade-offs in plant growth is debated. The signals mediating the WUE response under water deficit are not fully elucidated but involve the phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA). ABA is perceived by a family of related receptors known to mediate acclimation responses and to reduce transpiration. We now show that enhanced stimulation of ABA signaling via distinct ABA receptors can result in plants constitutively growing at high WUE in the model species Arabidopsis. WUE was assessed by three independent approaches involving gravimetric analyses, 13 C discrimination studies of shoots and derived cellulose fractions, and by gas exchange measurements of whole plants and individual leaves. Plants expressing the ABA receptors RCAR6/PYL12 combined up to 40% increased WUE with high growth rates, i.e., are water productive. Water productivity was associated with maintenance of net carbon assimilation by compensatory increases of leaf CO 2 gradients, thereby sustaining biomass acquisition. Leaf surface temperatures and growth potentials of plants growing under well-watered conditions were found to be reliable indicators for water productivity. The study shows that ABA receptors can be explored to generate more plant biomass per water transpired, which is a prime goal for a more sustainable water use in agriculture.carbon assimilation | drought resistance | water deficit | water productivity | water use efficiency P lants are ferocious consumers of water, and plant transpiration is the dominant vector for water mobilization from terrestrial surfaces to the atmosphere (1). Plant transpiration is sustained by efficient water uptake through the root systems, which can comprise 500 m 2 of root surface and 500 km in combined length even in a single barley plant. Water is the major factor limiting crop productivity in the field (2). Thus, more than two-thirds of the fresh water resources used globally are channeled into agriculture, thereby contributing to potential social conflicts over water (3).Whereas the gas exchange of CO 2 and water vapor at the stomatal pore is a physical process controlled by both the ratio in partial pressure gradients and gas diffusivities (4, 5), terrestrial plants are able to capture carbon more efficiently under water deficit. Both short-term leaf gas exchange measurements and 13 C isotope discrimination analyses revealed increases of the instantaneous water use efficiency (insWUE) and intrinsic WUE (iWUE), respectively, by a factor of 1.5-2.5 in wheat and other species (6, 7). The underlying mechanisms, however, are not fully elucidated. Gains in WUE have been found to be associated with trade-offs in growth potential (8-10). WUE is control...

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Leveraging abscisic acid receptors for efficient water use in Arabidopsis

Yang

Liu

Tischer

et al. 2016

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

112

141

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Some of the phrases that appear often in the agricultural and water management literature include the need to produce "more food with less water" and to generate "more crop per drop" [6][7][8][9]. The motivating rationale for such phrases is clear and legitimate.…”

Section: Motivationmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do Estimates of Water Productivity Enhance Understanding of Farm-Level Water Management?

Wichelns

2014

Water

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Abstract:Estimates of water productivity are appearing with increasing frequency in the literature pertaining to agronomy, water management, and water policy. Some authors report such estimates as one of the outcome variables of experiment station studies, while others calculate water productivities when comparing regional crop production information. Many authors suggest or imply that higher values of water productivity are needed to ensure that future food production goals are achieved. Yet maximizing water productivity might not be consistent with farm-level goals or with societal objectives regarding water allocation and management. Farmers in both rainfed and irrigated settings must address a complex set of issues pertaining to risk, uncertainty, prices, and opportunity costs, when selecting activities and determining optimal strategies. It is not clear that farmers in either setting will or should choose to maximize water productivity. Upon examining water productivity, both conceptually and empirically, using published versions of crop production functions, I conclude that estimates of water productivity contain too little information to enhance understanding of farm-level water management.Keywords: economics; smallholders; irrigation; production functions; risk; uncertainty MotivationMany authors have called for improvements in water use efficiency or increases in water productivity in rainfed and irrigated settings, with the goal of increasing agricultural output to meet future food demands [1][2][3][4][5]. Some of the phrases that appear often in the agricultural and water management literature include the need to produce "more food with less water" and to generate "more crop per drop" [6][7][8][9]. The motivating rationale for such phrases is clear and legitimate. We must OPEN ACCESS

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“…In order to meet future food demands from a rising global population whilst minimising any environmental impact, a commensurate increase in agricultural productivity (yield) coupled with improvements in water and nutrient efficiency will be necessary (Kumar et al 2016;Monaghan et al 2013). In this context, irrigated agriculture will play a critical role supporting increased production in arid and semi-arid regions, and enhancing crop quality through supplemental irrigation in temperate or humid regions (Daccache et al 2014a, b;De Paz et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…With agriculture accounting for nearly three quarters (70%) of all freshwater withdrawals and over 90% of total consumptive water use (Siebert et al 2010) this will inevitably lead to 'irrigation hotspots' where agricultural water demand exceeds available supplies (Knox et al 2012). Taking into account current pressures on water resources and projected future increases in irrigated area, the agricultural sector needs to do more with less, increasing water productivity (t ha -1 ) by improving water efficiency and producing more 'crop per drop' (Monaghan et al 2013).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Modelling impacts of precision irrigation on crop yield and in-field water management

et al. 2017

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Precision irrigation technologies are being widely promoted to resolve challenges regarding improving crop productivity under conditions of increasing water scarcity. In this paper, the development of an integrated modelling approach involving the coupling of a water application model with a biophysical crop simulation model (Aquacrop) to evaluate the in-field impacts of precision irrigation on crop yield and soil water management is described. The approach allows for a comparison between conventional irrigation management practices against a range of alternate so-called 'precision irrigation' strategies (including variable rate irrigation, VRI). It also provides a valuable framework to evaluate the agronomic (yield), water resource (irrigation use and water efficiency), energy (consumption, costs, footprint) and environmental (nitrate leaching, drainage) impacts under contrasting irrigation management scenarios. The approach offers scope for including feedback loops to help define appropriate irrigation management zones and refine application depths accordingly for scheduling irrigation. The methodology was applied to a case study in eastern England to demonstrate the utility of the framework and the impacts of precision irrigation in a humid climate on a high-value field crop (onions). For the case study, the simulations showed how VRI is a potentially useful approach for irrigation management even in a humid environment to save water and reduce deep percolation losses (drainage). It also helped to increase crop yield due to improved control of soil water in the root zone, especially during a dry season.

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More ‘crop per drop’: constraints and opportunities for precision irrigation in European agriculture

Cited by 83 publications

References 33 publications

Leveraging abscisic acid receptors for efficient water use in Arabidopsis

Leveraging abscisic acid receptors for efficient water use in Arabidopsis

Do Estimates of Water Productivity Enhance Understanding of Farm-Level Water Management?

Modelling impacts of precision irrigation on crop yield and in-field water management

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