Role of Agronomy in Cultivating a Sustainable Food Future | Doi : 10.37446/edibook092024/107-115

PAID ACCESS | Published on : 31-Oct-2024

Sustainable Water Management for Agriculture: Emerging Trends and Technologies

  • Sushree Subhankari Dhar
  • Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India.
  • Pujasmita Behera
  • Department of Agricultural Meteorology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India.
  • Kumar Ashutosh
  • Department of Fruit Science and Horticulture Technology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India.
  • Bharat Kumar Pradhan
  • Department of Fruit Science and Horticulture Technology, Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology, Bhubaneswar, India.

Abstract

The development and application of water conservation strategies in Indian agriculture, highlight the critical role in promoting sustainable resource management in the face of growing water shortages worldwide. It starts by examining conventional methods of managing water and showing the historical significance of these techniques as well as the difficulties. Subsequently, the emphasis switches to contemporary techniques for conserving water, such as mulching, crop rotation, and soil moisture management, as well as technological developments in irrigation like drip irrigation, sprinkler systems, and subsurface irrigation that improve water efficiency. The global agricultural sector faces unprecedented water challenges, with 70% of freshwater resources dedicated to agriculture. This provides an overview of sustainable water management strategies for agriculture, highlighting recent trends and technologies. It describes about the adoption of precision irrigation systems, which have increased crop yields by up to 20% while reducing water usage by 30%. Additionally, the potential of digital agriculture, includes satellite-based monitoring and AI-powered decision support systems, to optimize water use efficiency (WUE) in agriculture. It also explores the role of water storage infrastructure, such as dams and reservoirs, in enhancing agricultural water security.

Keywords

Sustainable water management, Agriculture, Irrigation systems

References

  • Amiraly, A., Prime, N., & Singh, J. P. (2004). Rainwater harvesting, alternative to the water supply in Indian urban areas: The case of Ahmedabad in Gujarat.

    Anand, C., & Apul, D. S. (2011). Economic and environmental analysis of standard, high efficiency, rainwater flushed, and composting toilets. Journal of Environmental Management, 92(3), 419-428.

    Bhatt, S. C. (2020). Natural resources, water harvesting and drought in Central India. Shree Publishers & Distributors.

    Çetin, Ö., & Akalp, E. (2019). Efficient use of water and fertilizers in irrigated agriculture: Drip irrigation and fertigation. Acta Horticulturae et Regiotecturae, 22(2), 97-102.

    Chakrabarti, M. (2017). Stepwell—the water architecture of India. Pakistan Heritage, 103120.

    Christova-Boal, D., Eden, R. E., & McFarlane, S. (1996). An investigation into greywater reuse for urban residential properties. Desalination, 106(1-3), 391-397.

    Debnath, S., Adamala, S., & Palakuru, M. (2020). An overview of Indian traditional irrigation systems for sustainable agricultural practices. International Journal of Modern Agriculture, 9(1), 12-22.

    Donath, S., Adamala, S., & Palakuru, M. (2020). An overview of Indian traditional irrigation systems for sustainable agricultural practices. International Journal of Modern Agriculture, 9(1), 12-22.

    Dutta, S. P. (2015). Traditional rainwater harvesting at crossroads. In Proceedings Aqua-Foundation IX World Congress: International Congress, Reviving Traditional Water and Environmental Techniques (pp. 93-115).

    El-Ramady, H. R. (2014). Integrated nutrient management and postharvest of crops. Sustainable Agriculture Reviews, 13, 163-274.

    FAO. (2022). The state of the world's land and water resources for food and agriculture. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations.

    Gale, I., Neumann, I., Calow, R., & Moench, D. M. (2002). The effectiveness of artificial recharge of groundwater: A review. Water Resources Research, 38(3), 105-115.

    Goap, A., Sharma, D., Shukla, A. K., & Krishna, C. R. (2018). An IoT-based smart irrigation management system using machine learning and open source technologies. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 155, 41-49.

    Hazarika, B. B., & Hazarika, B. B. (n.d.). A comprehensive review of traditional and modern soil and water conservation practices.

    Hoekstra, A. Y. (2015). The water footprint of industry. In Assessing and measuring environmental impact and sustainability (pp. 221-254). Butterworth-Heinemann.

    IFPRI. (2020). Water and food security: A global review. International Food Policy Research Institute.

    Kinkade-Levario, H. (2007). Design for water: Rainwater harvesting, stormwater catchment, and alternate water reuse. New Society Publishers.

    Koul, D. N., Singh, S., Neelam, G., & Shukla, G. (2012). Traditional water management systems—An overview of Ahar-Pyne system in South Bihar plains of India and need for its revival.

    Kumar, A., & Madhukar, A. K. (2019, August). Management of traditional water systems and their conservation in North Eastern Region through local traditional wisdom. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 2142, No. 1). AIP Publishing.

    Machiwal, D., Jha, M. K., Singh, P. K., Mahnot, S. C., & Gupta, A. (2004). Planning and design of cost-effective water harvesting structures for efficient utilization of scarce water resources in semi-arid regions of Rajasthan, India. Water Resources Management, 18(3), 219-235.

    Matteoli, F., Schnetzer, J., & Jacobs, H. (2020). Climate-smart agriculture (CSA): An integrated approach for climate change management in the agriculture sector. In Handbook of climate change management: Research, leadership, transformation (pp. 1-29).

    Mentens, J., Raes, D., & Hermy, M. (2006). Green roofs as a tool for solving the rainwater runoff problem in the urbanized 21st century? Landscape and Urban Planning, 77(3), 217-226

    Paik, S., Le, D. T. P., Nhu, L. T., & Mills, B. F. (2020). Salt-tolerant rice variety adoption in the Mekong River Delta: Farmer adaptation to sea-level rise. PLOS ONE, 15(3), e0229464.

    Patil, V. C., Maru, A., Shashidhara, G. B., & Shanwad, U. K. (2002). Remote sensing, geographical information system and precision farming in India: Opportunities and challenges. In Proceedings of the Third Asian Conference for Information Technology in Agriculture (pp. 26-28).

    Selvaraj, T., Devadas, P., Perumal, J. L., Zabaniotou, A., & Ganesapillai, M. (2022). A comprehensive review of the potential of stepwells as sustainable water management structures. Water, 14(17), 2665.

    Shaji, E., Sarath, K. V., Prakash, P., Abraham, A. P., Deepchand, V., Kunhambu, V., & Pradeepkumar, A. P. (2020). Tunnel wells, the traditional water harvesting structures of Kasaragod, Kerala: Re-visited. Current Science, 118(6), 118-126.

    UNEP. (2022). Water and agriculture: A global review of water management practices. United Nations Environment Programme.

    Wenten, I. G., Ariono, D., Purwasasmita, M., & Khoirudin, K. (2017). Integrated processes for desalination and salt production: A mini-review. In AIP Conference Proceedings (Vol. 1818, No. 1). AIP Publishing. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4973555.

    Wong, T. H. (2006). Water sensitive urban design—The journey thus far. Australasian Journal of Water Resources, 10(3), 213-222.

    World Bank. (2021). Digital agriculture: A guide for policymakers. World Bank.