Does modern irrigation save water? NMSU professor's research says no.
A team of scientists, including a professor from New Mexico State University, suggests in a recently published paper that reliance on modern irrigation technologies as a water-use efficiency strategy is a “zombie idea” — one that persists no matter how much evidence is thrown against it.
Water is scarce in many other places, and attempts to address the problem with irrigation, which is often the main water-using sector, have continued to focus on modern irrigation technologies. But evidence shows that this process worsens water scarcity, according to the international research team.
After reviewing more than 200 supporting research articles, the researchers found that technology adoption as a water-saving method for improving irrigation efficiency is ineffective and can even elevate water scarcity. Their findings were published in the peer-reviewed journal Environmental Research Letters.
“While water applications per acre are reduced on a farm, what had previously been aquifer recharge and return flow under flood irrigation is essentially eliminated. Not only that, but what is believed to be water savings is often put back into production,” said co-author Frank Ward, distinguished achievement professor in NMSU’s College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences.
Read more: https://www.lcsun-news.com/story/news/education/nmsu/2021/11/14/does-modern-irrigation-save-water-nmsu-professors-research-says-no/8617383002/
(Las Cruces Sun-News)