Current Science

Open Access Open Access  Restricted Access Subscription Access

Techno-economic analysis of irrigation systems for efficient water use in the backdrop of climate change


Affiliations
1 Department of Civil Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida 201 314, India
 

In view of the growing water scarcity, particularly in the backdrop of climate change the adoption of water-efficient irrigation systems is becoming indispensable. The study of efficient irrigation systems is lacking in the developing countries like India, which is in turn responsible for the low values of water-use efficiency in agriculture. Therefore in this article, different irrigation systems studied for the developing countries, including the water-efficient and traditional ones, are reappraised. The irrigation systems are assessed on the basis of various factors such as economic parameters, water productivity, water saving and crop yield. Among water-efficient irrigation systems, drip irrigation system (DS) is considered to be the most successful method for water conservation and increased agricultural output. DS not only reduces the cost of supplied water, but also those incurred in the activities such as human labour and other cultivation costs. DS is found suitable for a variety of crops, including cereals, vegetables and cash crops in different regions of the world. Water saving and electricity saving is in the range 40–54% and 26–47% respectively, when DS is compared with the surface irrigation methods. For most of the crops, drip irrigation is found to be the most robust, profitable and cost-effective method of irrigation and could be a possible solution to the growing water shortage in the backdrop of climate change

Keywords

Climate change, crop yield, irrigation systems, water saving, water-use efficiency.
User
Notifications
Font Size

  • https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2019/12/09/solvingwater-management-crisis-india (accessed in August 2021).

  • Dhawan, B. D., Technological Change in Indian Irrigated Agriculture: A Study of Water Saving Methods, 2002.

  • Begg, J. E. and Turner, N. C., Crop water deficits. Adv. Agron., 1976, 28, 161–217.

  • Chauhan, R. P. S., Yadav, B. S. and Singh, R. B., Irrigation water and fertigation management in brinjal crop with drip irrigation. J. Rural Agric. Res., 2013, 13, 53–56.

  • Bartolini, F., Gallerani, V., Raggi, M. and Viaggi, D., Water management and irrigated agriculture in Italy: multicriteria analysis of alternative policy scenarios. Water Policy, 2010, 12, 135–147.

  • Pachauri, R. K. and Meyer, L. A. (eds), Climate Change 2014: Synthesis Report. Contribution of Working Groups I, II and III to the Fifth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, IPCC, Geneva, Switzerland, 2014, p. 151.

  • Gordon, L. J., Finlayson, C. M. and Falkenmark, M., Managing water in agriculture for food production and other ecosystem services. Agric. Water Manage., 2010, 97, 512–519.

  • Doorenbos, J. and Pruitt, W. O., Guidelines for predicting crop water requirements. Irrigation and Drainage Paper No. 24, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, Rome, 1977.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A., Bhattarai, M. and Jothi, P., An assessment of the economic impact of drip irrigation in vegetable production in India. Agric. Econ. Res. Rev., 2018, 31, 105–112.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A., Evaluation of drip irrigation system in Maharashtra. Gokhalei Institute of Politics and Economics (GIPE), Pune, India, 1996, pp. 97–114.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A., Averting water crisis by drip method of irrigation: a study of two water-intensive crops. Indian J. Agric. Econ., 2003, 58, 427–437.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A., Drip irrigation in India: can it solve water scarcity? Water Policy, 2004, 6, 117–130.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A., Efficiency of irrigation: a case of drip irrigation, National Bank for Agriculture and Research Development, 2005.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A., Water saving technologies as a demand management option: potentials, problems and prospects. Strategic Analyses of the National River Linking Project (NRLP) of India: Promoting Irrigation Demand Management in India: Potentials, Problems, and Prospects, 2008, vol. 3, p. 93.

  • Bakhsh, A. et al., Economic evaluation of different irrigation systems for wheat production in Rechna Doab, Pakistan. Pak. J. Agric. Sci., 2015, 52, 821–828.

  • Asmon, I. and Rothe, R., The economic feasibility of drip irrigation in Afghanistan. Alternative Livelihoods Project – South (alp/s), 2006.

  • Cetin, O. and Bilgel, L., Effects of different irrigation methods on shedding and yield of cotton. Agric. Water Manage., 2002, 54, 1–15.

  • Pawar, N., Bishnoi, D. K., Singh, M. and Dhillon, A., Comparative economic analysis of drip irrigation vis-à-vis flood irrigation system on productivity of Bt cotton in Haryana. Agric. Sci. Dig. Res. J., 2015, 35, 300–303.

  • Baranchuluun, S., Bayanjargal, D. and Adiyabadam, G., A cost benefit analysis of crop production with various irrigation systems. IFEAMA SPSCP, 2014, 5, 146–156.

  • Wassmann, R. and Pathak, H., Introducing greenhouse gas mitigation as a development objective in rice-based agriculture: II. Cost– benefit assessment for different technologies, regions and scales. Agric. Syst., 2007, 94, 826–840.

  • Klepper, G. and Peterson, S., Marginal abatement cost curves in general equilibrium: the influence of world energy prices. Resour. Energy Econ., 2006, 28, 1–23.

  • Pathak, H., Li, C. and Wassmann, R., Greenhouse gas emissions from Indian rice fields: calibration and upscaling using the DNDC model. Biogeosciences, 2005, 2, 113–123.

  • Rajak, D., Manjunatha, M. V., Rajkumar, G. R., Hebbara, M. and Minhas, P. S., Comparative effects of drip and furrow irrigation on the yield and water productivity of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) in a saline and waterlogged vertisol. Agric. Water Manage., 2006, 83, 30–36.

  • Gorain, S., Singh, D. R., Kumar, P., Venkatesh, P. and Jha, G. K., Social costs and benefits analysis of drip irrigation system in Northern Maharashtra. Econ. Aff., 2018, 63, 1061–1065.

  • Kheira, A. A. A., Comparison among different irrigation systems for deficit-irrigated corn in the Nile Valley. Agric. Eng. Int. CIGR J., 2009, 0, 1–25.

  • Lamm, F. R. and Trooien, T. P., Subsurface drip irrigation for corn production: a review of 10 years of research in Kansas. Irrig. Sci., 2003, 22, 195–200.

  • Darouich, H., Gonçalves, J. M., Muga, A. and Pereira, L. S., Water saving vs farm economics in cotton surface irrigation: an application of multicriteria analysis. Agric. Water Manage., 2012, 115, 223–231.

  • Hasan, M. A., Water use efficiency in Syrian agriculture. Damascus: Ministry of Agriculture and Agrarian Reform. NAPC National Agriculture Policy Center, 2007.

  • Kumar, D. S. and Palanisami, K., Impact of drip irrigation on farming system: evidence from southern India. Agric. Econ. Res. Rev., 2010, 23, 265–272.

  • Suresh Kumar, D. and Palanisami, K., Can drip irrigation technology be socially beneficial? Evidence from southern India. Water Policy, 2011, 13, 571–587.

  • Khalifa, W. M. A. and Mahmoud, N. A. A., Effects of drip irrigation system for long-life fruit trees on different economic bases. Int. Trans. J. Eng. Manage. Appl. Sci. Technol., 2020, 11.

  • Mandal, G., Kumar, S., Kumar, R. and Singh, R., Effect of drip irrigation and plant spacing on yield, quality and economic return of guava (Psidium guajava L.) grown in saline soil. In First International Guava Symposium 735, Lucknow, India, 2005, pp. 427–432.

  • Narayanamoorthy, A. and Devika, N., Economic and resource impacts of drip method of irrigation on okra cultivation: an analysis of field survey data. J. Land Rural Stud., 2018, 6, 15–33.

  • Yohannes, F. and Tadesse, T., Effect of drip and furrow irrigation and plant spacing on yield of tomato at Dire Dawa, Ethiopia. Agric. Water Manage., 1998, 35, 201–207.

  • Claassen, M. M. and Shaw, R. H., Water deficit effects on corn. II. Grain components 1. Agron. J., 1970, 62, 652–655.

  • Reddy, P. P., Impacts of climate change on agriculture. In Climate Resilient Agriculture for Ensuring Food Security, Springer, 2015, pp. 43–90.

  • Eckstein, D., Künzel, V. and Schäfer, L., Global climate risk index 2018. Germanwatch Bonn, 2017.

  • Rosenzweig, C. and Parry, M. L., Potential impact of climate change on world food supply. Nature, 1994, 367, 133–138.

  • Moriondo, M., Giannakopoulos, C. and Bindi, M., Climate change impact assessment: the role of climate extremes in crop yield simulation. Climate Change, 2011, 104, 679–701.

  • Porter, J. R. and Gawith, M., Temperatures and the growth and development of wheat: a review. Eur. J. Agron., 1999, 10, 23–36.

  • Ottman, M. J., Kimball, B. A., White, J. W. and Wall, G. W., Wheat growth response to increased temperature from varied planting dates and supplemental infrared heating. Agron. J., 2012, 104, 7–16.

  • Mohanty, M. et al., Climate change impacts vis-à-vis productivity of soybean in vertisol of Madhya Pradesh. J. Agrometeorol., 2017, 19, 10–16.

  • Gupta, R. et al., Wheat productivity in Indo-Gangetic plains of India during 2010: terminal heat effects and mitigation strategies. No. CIS-6150, CIMMYT, 2010.

  • Matthews, R. B., Kropff, M. J. and D. B. (eds), Modelling the Impact of Climate Change on Rice Production in Asia, International Rice Research Institute, 1995.

  • Schlenker, W. and Lobell, D. B., Robust negative impacts of climate change on African agriculture. Environ. Res. Lett., 2010, 5, 14010.

  • Tai, A. P. K., Martin, M. V. and Heald, C. L., Threat to future global food security from climate change and ozone air pollution. Nature Climate Change, 2014, 4, 817–821.

  • Lobell, D. B., Schlenker, W. and Costa-Roberts, J., Climate trends and global crop production since 1980. Science, 2011, 333, 616–620.

  • Lobell, D. B., Bänziger, M., Magorokosho, C. and Vivek, B., Nonlinear heat effects on African maize as evidenced by historical yield trials. Nature Climate Change, 2011, 1, 42–45.

  • Döll, P., Impact of climate change and variability on irrigation requirements: a global perspective. Climate Change, 2002, 54, 269–293.

  • Fischer, G., Tubiello, F. N., Van Velthuizen, H. and Wiberg, D. A., Climate change impacts on irrigation water requirements: effects of mitigation, 1990–2080. Technol. Forecast. Soc. Change, 2007, 74, 1083–1107.

  • Gornall, J. et al., Implications of climate change for agricultural productivity in the early twenty-first century. Philos. Trans. R. Soc. London, Ser. B, 2010, 365, 2973–2989.

  • Akbar, H. and Gheewala, S. H., Effect of climate change on health in Pakistan Mohammad. Proc. Pak. Acad. Sci., Part B, 2021, 57, 1–12.

  • Molden, D., Comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture. Water for food, water for life: a comprehensive assessment of water management in agriculture. Earth Scan, London and International Water Management Institute, Colombo, 2007.

  • Cantero-Martínez, C., Angás, P. and Lampurlanés, J., Long-term yield and water use efficiency under various tillage systems in Mediterranean rainfed conditions. Ann. Appl. Biol., 2007, 150, 293–305.

  • Kumar, M., Impact of climate change on crop yield and role of model for achieving food security. Environ. Monit. Assess., 2016, 188(8), 1–14.

  • Zou, X., Cremades, R., Gao, Q., Wan, Y. and Qin, X., Costeffectiveness analysis of water-saving irrigation technologies based on climate change response: a case study of China. Agric. Water Manage., 2013, 129, 9–20.

  • Kumar, M., Managing water in the face of growing scarcity, inequity and declining returns: exploring fresh approaches. In Proceedings of the Seventh Annual Partners Meet, Hyderabad, India, 2008.

  • CWC, Water and related statistics. Central Water Commission, Ministry of Water Resources, Government of India, 2010.

  • FAO, Water use efficiency report, Food and Agriculture Organization, 2018; https://www.fao.org/sustainable-development-goals/indicators/641/en/ (accessed in August 2021).

  • NABARD and Indian Council for Research on International Economic Relations, Water productivity mapping of major Indian crops report, 2018; https://www.nabard.org/ (accessed in August 2021).

  • Khan, M. A., Islam, Z. and Hafeez, M., Irrigation water demand forecasting: a data pre-processing and data mining approach based on spatio-temporal data. In Proceedings of the Ninth Australasian Data Mining Conference, 2011, vol. 121, pp. 183–194.


Abstract Views: 308

PDF Views: 123




  • Techno-economic analysis of irrigation systems for efficient water use in the backdrop of climate change

Abstract Views: 308  |  PDF Views: 123

Authors

Aditi Yadav
Department of Civil Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida 201 314, India
Nayan Sharma
Department of Civil Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida 201 314, India
Hitesh Upreti
Department of Civil Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida 201 314, India
Gopal Das Singhal
Department of Civil Engineering, Shiv Nadar University, Greater Noida 201 314, India

Abstract


In view of the growing water scarcity, particularly in the backdrop of climate change the adoption of water-efficient irrigation systems is becoming indispensable. The study of efficient irrigation systems is lacking in the developing countries like India, which is in turn responsible for the low values of water-use efficiency in agriculture. Therefore in this article, different irrigation systems studied for the developing countries, including the water-efficient and traditional ones, are reappraised. The irrigation systems are assessed on the basis of various factors such as economic parameters, water productivity, water saving and crop yield. Among water-efficient irrigation systems, drip irrigation system (DS) is considered to be the most successful method for water conservation and increased agricultural output. DS not only reduces the cost of supplied water, but also those incurred in the activities such as human labour and other cultivation costs. DS is found suitable for a variety of crops, including cereals, vegetables and cash crops in different regions of the world. Water saving and electricity saving is in the range 40–54% and 26–47% respectively, when DS is compared with the surface irrigation methods. For most of the crops, drip irrigation is found to be the most robust, profitable and cost-effective method of irrigation and could be a possible solution to the growing water shortage in the backdrop of climate change

Keywords


Climate change, crop yield, irrigation systems, water saving, water-use efficiency.

References





DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv122%2Fi6%2F664-673