Dwindling Water Supply and New Farming Methods Using Less Water
Dwindling Water Supply and New Farming Methods Using Less Water
Introduction
Conservation of water is vital in the society. This is because the water available for consumption and use in various activities is hardly enough. The situation is grim for future generations as the current rate of water consumption is higher than the water available in the globe. Among the numerous ways that mankind can conserve water is establishing new ways to grow crops with less water. Agriculture is one of the fields that contribute to large amounts of water utilization. Determining new ways to grow crops with less water will be useful in ascertaining effective water management methods. Communities are coming up with ways to manage water utilization in agriculture. These conservation methods will be useful in ascertaining there is enough water for the present and future generation. The paper reviews the reducing supply of watering the world today. Focus shall also be on farming methods that adopted to ascertain that proper water conversation methods are adopted. Specifically, focus in on the different ways of crop farming with less water.
Body
Poste, (2001) in the article growing more food with less water’ begins by reviewing the history of irrigation and how it led to collapse of Sumerian due to land degradation. The water the Sumerians channeled in their farms was salty and had a lot of minerals. Eventually the salts and impurities built up to toxic levels making the soil unsuitable for agriculture. Poste points out that the society today largely relies on irrigation for agricultural purposes. The reliance on water for agricultural purposes poses a threat to food production in the future (Poste, 2001). There is a risk that increased usage of water would lead to its scarcity. Accessibility of water for agricultural purposes is bound to diminish as the water resources continue to shrink. Since the discovery of agriculture, water has been used for irrigation and to date; large volumes of water are used in farming. The practice of irrigation is not expected to cease. The only alternative is to determine more efficient ways of farming that will result to minimal use of water.
Poste argues that there is a need to adopt better soil and water management methods. Framers should also strive to adopt creative cropping patterns so as to boost farm produce. The soil and water management methods will be geared towards boosting agriculture that can then rely purely on rainfall for water supply. The productivity of water used for agriculture can also be enhanced in several ways. The first strategy involves improving the efficiency of irrigation. Methods of irrigations such as flooding or directing water through furrow are unreliable (Poste, 2001). The methods lead to utilization of large quantities of water. Naturally, plants rely small quantities of water, flooding and use of furrow is thus not vital. With such methods, most of the water reverts to rivers or evaporates under the sun. These methods are not only wasteful but reduce the quality of water due to pollution. The water from the farms reverts to the river. Unfortunately, is contaminated with pesticides and other similar chemicals.
Irrigation systems such as drip irrigation allow for crop growing using less water. The drip system allows farmers to water the plant, one drop at a time. The drip system of irrigation reduces water use by over 60%. The second efficient method of technology is the use of low energy sprinkler. Theses sprinklers are placed close to the ground and release water in small doses (Poste, 2001). Unlike the traditional sprinklers, that were raised high from the ground and sprayed water at high speed, the low energy conserves water.
Poste (2001) also points out the need for government commitment and involvement in water conversation. Strategies such as public supply of irrigation to farmers reduce the commitment of farmers to adopt water conservation methods. Government should also strive to regulate ground water pumping to control its use in agriculture. Other than active e government participation other agricultural strategies can be adopted to minimize water usage. One of the strategies includes scheduling the irrigation timetable to match the needs of the crops (Poste, 2001). Farmers can also measure climatic factors and relate these factors to the amount of water that a plant utilizes. By determining the quantity of water needed, the amount of water per crop can be determined.
Recycling of water is another strategy that farmers can use to ascertain that they use less water for agricultural purposes than before. Water can be treated and re-used in areas such as farming. Growing of new hybrids of crop that utilize less amounts of water is recommended. Poste (2001) points out crops such as hybrid wheat and rice varieties which produce high yields but utilize less water. Another alternative towards water conversation is the configuration of the societal diet. Most people use daily products in their diet. Animal products require more water to manufacture than non-animal products.
Lynas, (2012), in the article ‘How land-efficient is organic agriculture?’, looks at organic agriculture and the view that organic foods are not only healthier but also to be more environmentally friendly. Organic agriculture goes a long way in ensuring that high water quality is upheld. The conventional method of farming requires that framers use pesticides to keep their crop healthy. Constant use of the pesticide leads to pollution of the soil. The pesticides also get into the water system putting people health at risk of exposure. Lynas points out that organic agriculture should be adopted because of the absence of pesticides and fertilizers. In the process of growing organic foods, soil and water pollution significantly reduces. Organic agriculture relies on manure to get healthy crops (Lynas, 2012). Manure can be collected from surrounding fields. The process of manuring thus helps in reducing environmental wastes from farms. Manure also allows crops to acquire a wide array of organic nutrients. The manure can be collected for cover crop legumes, compost waste etc.
Organic agriculture also encourages the use of mulching. Mulching minimizes the amount of water used in a crop. This is because mulching reduces the exposure of crops to environmental elements such as excessive heat that lead to evaporation. Heat from the sun increase evaporation and as the soil looses water; it fails to thrive unless constantly watered. Mulching prevents the need for excessive watering of crops. Lynas also brings up the topic on shadow land. This is the amount of land that is needed to generate nutrient inputs, biocides and energy (Lynas, 2012). He stated organic agriculture requires more shadow land than the traditional form of agriculture. This is due to the need of manure and mulch form other lands. The organic form of agriculture is thus efficient in areas where there are large tracks of land. The traditional form of agriculture that utilizes pesticides and herbicides require small tracks of land. Lynas concludes by pointing the need for farmers to put in mind this consideration before making a choice on the most efficient farming method to adopt.
Conclusion
Water supply is quickly dwindling and without proper intervention strategies there will be limited water resources in the world. The agricultural sector is reputable for using the highest quantities of water. It is crucial to adopt better irrigation strategies such as use of the drip systems. Farmers can also focus on growing of hybrid crops that use less water that the traditional high water intake crops. Farming methods such as organic farming can be adopted to replace the traditional farming method that relied on pesticides and herbicides for a bountiful harvest. During the process of irrigation or rainfall, the water mixes up with pesticides and flows back to the water bodies. In the end, there is widespread pollution of water. Communities can also adopt water recycling methods. Recycling of water ensures that water is used for more than one purpose. Reliable water treatment methods can be adopted. This will ensure that water that would have otherwise been disposed is utilized in areas such as irrigation. Efforts to conserve water require the participation of the government and communities.
Reference
Lynas, M. (2012). How land efficient is organic agriculture. Retrieved from http://theenergycollective.com/breakthroughinstitut/93966/how-land-efficient-organic-agriculture
Postel, S. (2001). Growing more food with less water. Scientific American Inc
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