How Drought Challenges Our Irrigation Systems

Water scarcity is a significant problem in agriculture that challenges our irrigation systems. With climate change, droughts are expected to occur more frequently and last longer, threatening farmers and overall food security.

Water is a precious and finite resource that holds every step of our lives, particularly in drought-prone California, Texas, and Arizona. Most agriculture businesses get water from rivers, ponds, lakes, and streams. Droughts can cause lower reservoir flows, and lakes or ponds can dry. The reduced streamflow and decreased available water can cause groundwater depletion, shrinking wetlands, and poor water quality. There are many ways to get water to farms and landscapes, but most arrive through irrigation. As a result, the drought is affecting our irrigation systems and crop production and significantly impacting the economy and society. If there is less water to grow food, there will be less food, and prices will increase.

In this article, we'll explore the impact of droughts on our irrigation systems, strategies for reducing the effects of drought, and how we can all prepare for future water shortages.

How Drought Has Raised Challenges for Irrigation Systems

Irrigation is a key aspect of agriculture, helping farmers to grow crops, maintain lush landscapes, and restore disturbed soil in arid areas. California farmers use irrigation systems to provide water to their crops and livestock. They can grow crops using irrigation systems even in dry, drought-prone regions and areas that don't receive enough rain. However, drought has increased the demand and competition for water, challenging our irrigation systems and other aspects of agriculture.

The Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) released a report that examined California's agriculture, the largest agriculture sector in the country. California farms rely heavily on irrigation, and progress toward improving irrigation efficiency needs to be improved. The droughts fueled by climate change restrict water availability and increase water demands. Due to the limited surface water delivery to crops, farmers have had to increase groundwater pumping, but only some farmers have access to this.

The report suggested that state and federal agencies can provide financial and technical support to help farmers through funding incentive programs promoting strategic land fallowing and reusing to benefit the farms, environment, and community. Furthermore, the report emphasizes water storage improvement. Pumping more water into the ground can recharge groundwater banks and build crucial reserves. To facilitate this, the experts suggest approaches such as robust groundwater allocation, better automation and monitoring systems, long-term weather forecasts, plant breeding, and addressing sustainability.

Other Impacts of Drought on Agriculture

The impact of drought on other aspects of agriculture is noteworthy. A water shortage can cause many other agricultural issues, including wildfires, inadequate soil nutrients, poor soil quality, loss of wetlands, reduced or destroyed fish and wildlife habitat, and insect outbreaks. This has a significant impact on our farmers' health.

According to the National Drought Mitigation Center, drought has numerous negative consequences for crops and individuals whose livelihoods depend on them. The impacts of drought can be seen in individual crops and agricultural crop production. This affects farmers' income and threatens food security.

Water scarcity caused by drought harms crop growth by preventing plants from getting the nutrients required for optimal growth, which results in lower-quality yields. Furthermore, drought increases water stress in plants, leading to increased disease susceptibility, less pest resistance, and weaker crop structure.

As a result, drought-induced water shortages directly affect agricultural production and irrigation systems, as the available water to irrigate crops is limited. The lack of water supply is the reason for restrictions on irrigation water use in arid states, limiting farmers' ability to keep the crops well-hydrated.

Causes of Drought in Agriculture

Identifying the causes of drought is the first and foremost step in implementing effective solutions to lessen their impacts. Here are the factors that can cause drought in agriculture.

• Lack of rainfall
• Decreased aquifer
• Deforestation
• Soil degradation
• Excessive use of water resources
• Changing weather patterns, high temperatures
• Conversion of agricultural land into urban or industrial

Strategies to Reduce the Impact of Droughts on Agriculture

Implementing effective strategies to mitigate drought impacts on agriculture is imperative. Here are ways to help reduce your vulnerability to drought over the long haul.

Optimize the Use of Water Resources in Agriculture

Wasting water resources should be noticed. Therefore, it is essential to efficiently use water for crops while preventing waste. Farmers must use efficient irrigation systems that conserve water, such as drip irrigation, instead of field flooding or overhead watering to achieve this.

• Drip irrigation systems provide the precise amount of water required for growth directly to plants' roots. This irrigation method reduces water loss due to evaporation or runoff, reducing the effects of drought. Research has shown that a properly installed drip irrigation system can save up to 80% of water.
• Create a water storage system to keep water for use during irrigation. You can build ponds on a farm or use rainwater storage tanks to reserve water.
• Understand the watering needs of each crop to avoid overwatering the crops and watering at the right time.

Use Smart Irrigation Technologies

Technology also plays an important role in reducing the effects of drought on agriculture. Smart irrigation practices that optimize water use include automation through controllers, fertigation, wireless communication, and soil sensors. It also involves using weather forecasts or soil moisture data to determine irrigation needs and schedule irrigation based on each plant's needs.

Furthermore, real-time data and wireless communication systems help monitor crop needs and control irrigation more efficiently. Read our article on integrating smart technology with drip irrigation to help combat drought challenges and promote water conservation.

Increase Crop Diversity and Plant Water Stress-resistant Crop Varieties

Another strategy to deal with drought is to increase crop diversity and plant species that can withstand water stress conditions and hold water, reducing irrigation needs. Such plants are more tolerant of water scarcity and use water more efficiently. Tomatoes, melons, squash, okra, eggplant, and beans are some of the crops that are perfect for dry conditions. On the other hand, lettuce, corn, rice, potatoes, and carrots are water-intensive crops.

Consider Planting Early

Early planting is a crucial strategy to develop a robust root system before the onset of summer droughts. Crops planted later are more vulnerable to drought due to their weaker root system at the beginning of summer.

Improve Soil Health Before Plantation

Monitor soil moisture closely and then irrigate crops accordingly. Consider plowing to increase the water-retaining capacity of soil and build topsoil. However, the tillage depth should be reduced as soil moisture loss increases with the depth and amount of tillage. Roots do not develop well in compact soil, which is crucial to avoid soil compaction. You can improve soil water holding capacity by boosting organic matter content.

Add a good amount of organic matter to the soil by adding compost or manure, leave crop residue in the field, incorporate cover crops, and grow green manure crops. According to the USDA-NRCS, every 1% increase in soil organic matter enhances the soil moisture retaining capacity by 20,000 gallons per acre.

Plan and Prepare for the Sustainable Agriculture with DripWorks

The impact of drought on irrigation systems is substantial and poses several challenges to farmers and food supplies. So, finding sustainable means to optimize water usage in agriculture is essential, particularly regarding climate change. As a farmer, landscaper, or even gardener, you are responsible for setting an irrigation plan, implementing efficient practices to challenge droughts, and preparing yourself and your crops for water scarcity. By adopting smart irrigation practices, installing a water-efficient drip irrigation system, monitoring crop health, and diversifying crops, it is possible to reduce the drought effects on agriculture and ensure sustainable agriculture.

DripWorks offers high-quality and water-efficient drip irrigation supplies and systems. We stock ready-to-install drip irrigation kits and individual components designed to suit every farmer and gardener's needs. Visit the website to explore our wide range of drip supplies and other irrigation-related products.