Reducing & Optimizing Water Use On Your Farm

Here in the United States, agriculture accounts for about 80% of water consumption. Water usage on farms is divided between irrigation, applying fertilizer and pesticides, cooling crops, keeping livestock hydrated and controlling frost. All of this agricultural water usage builds up and costs farmers millions of dollars each year.

Not only that, but the amount of water used in farming also depletes the available water supply, negatively impacting the environment, particularly in drought conditions. Building strategies to use less water in irrigation and to effectively recycle water are a few of the important steps that farmers can take to reduce and optimize their farm’s water usage.

This guide to water usage reduction by Burrows Tractor, with locations in North Plains, OR, and Yakima and Wenatchee, WA, should help you to get more out of less water on your farm, whether it’s small-scale or large-scale. Come visit us if you need farming equipment to help you with your crops!

Understanding Water Sources

Agricultural water comes from a variety of sources, and determining which ones are the most cost-effective and eco-friendly will help farmers reduce overall water usage and save money. Here are some of the most commonly-used sources of agricultural water with their pros and cons:

Surface Water

Surface water is freely available water that’s found in irrigation ditches, rivers, streams, canals, and collection sources like reservoirs and ponds. Surface water is free to use, but limited in supply, so you’ll have to manage it carefully. 

Groundwater

Groundwater collects beneath the surface in an aquifer, a water-bearing layer of sediment or rock. The region where water collects under the Earth’s surface is called the zone of saturation, and the water table is the upper level of that zone, closest to the surface.

Generally sourced via wells, groundwater is slowly replenished over time and is less vulnerable to pollution than surface water. However, excessive usage can deplete a water table if it is not given a chance to refill. Avoid relying too heavily on your region’s water table; use it as an adjunct with other sources.

Rainwater

Rainwater is another free agricultural water source, the availability of which varies greatly depending on a region’s climate. If you live in an area that gets frequent rain, then you have a sustainable water supply that costs you very little to use. Some farmers build ponds or use cisterns specifically to catch rainfall for storage, to use during dry periods. This strategy reduces your farm’s reliance upon other water systems, making more water available for other uses. On a smaller scale, simply collecting rainwater runoff in rain barrels can provide water for use around the farmhouse or for watering troughs.

Municipal Water Systems

Some farms tap into municipal or city water supplies, which can become expensive over time considering how much water farms require. You will have to supplement any city water usage with other sources to keep costs down. You could also use municipal water for your farmhouse only, while making use of other sources for the rest of your farm.

Water Use Strategies

Reducing your water usage takes careful planning. You can use any of the following strategies alone or in combination to make your usage more effective and less wasteful. Using several of these strategies together will help you to get the most out of a limited water supply.

Drip Irrigation

One water-saving strategy for crops is to use drip irrigation. These systems deliver water directly to the roots of plants instead of spraying water over a field. This ensures that crops are adequately watered and that no water is wasted on dry ground. If drip irrigation systems are installed correctly, they can reduce crop water usage by up to 80%. Ensuring that crops receive adequate water also can help to increase crop yields, making your farm that much more productive!

Schedule Your Irrigation Around Rainfall

Taking some time to schedule irrigation can help you to stop using excess water when you don’t need to. Monitor weather conditions to know when rainwater will provide your crops with all the water they need so you’re not irrigating crops that nature has already watered. Keeping track of the moisture levels in your soil can also help you to reduce water usage.

Plant Drought-Tolerant and Dry Farm-Friendly Crops

Some farms in drought-prone areas like California are making use of crops that are more drought-tolerant than others to improve yields without requiring use of water, which becomes a more precious and expensive resource in dry conditions. Some good drought-tolerant crops include sorghum, millet, some legumes and pomegranates.

Dry farming is another strategy that uses crops that only require existing soil moisture to grow. This strategy requires that a farmer pay more attention to microclimates in an area and also practice more specialized tilling to get the most out of their land.

Go Organic

Organic farming can increase farm yields by up to 30%. Instead of requiring massive amounts of pesticides, which use water in their application, organic farming makes use of existing soil moisture and the bacteria in soil to keep plants healthy and productive. Using organic farming methods can also help to recharge groundwater supplies while keeping them free of toxic pollutants.

With some common sense and careful strategizing, you can reduce your farm’s water usage while still getting high crop yields. Need some new machines to help you with your farmwork? Visit Burrows Tractor today to see a wide selection of new and used farming equipment for sale. We proudly serve those in Portland and North Plains, Oregon, as well as those in Yakima and Wenatchee, Washington.