Around the globe farmers managing irrigated crops face a future with a decreased and more variable water supply. To investigate generic adaptation issues, a range of on-farm strategies were evaluated for apportioning limited water between fields and enterprises using a typical case-study farm from Australia’s Riverina region. These strategies are compared for a range of seasonal water availability levels. The analysis did not address investment in new irrigation technologies or new crops, but focussed on irrigation intensity and crop choice amongst existing enterprises. Participatory engagement and whole-farm simulation modelling were our primary tools of research. The adaptation options found to best suit irrigation farming in years of high water availability were substantially different to those when water supplies were low. This illustrates strategic differences between irrigation farming in land-limited circumstances and water-limited circumstances. Our study indicates that the cropping and irrigation strategy leading to greatest farm returns changes on a season-by-season basis, depending primarily on the water availability level.
History
Publication title
Agricultural Water Management: An International Journal
Volume
103
Pagination
33-42
ISSN
0378-3774
Department/School
Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture (TIA)
Publisher
Elsevier Science Bv
Place of publication
Po Box 211, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 1000 Ae
Rights statement
The definitive version is available at http://www.sciencedirect.com