Quintana-Ashwell, N.; Gholson, D.M.; Krutz, L.J.; Henry, C.G.; Cooke, T. Adoption of Water-Conserving Irrigation Practices among Row-crop Growers in Mississippi, USA. Agronomy2020, 10, 1083.
Quintana-Ashwell, N.; Gholson, D.M.; Krutz, L.J.; Henry, C.G.; Cooke, T. Adoption of Water-Conserving Irrigation Practices among Row-crop Growers in Mississippi, USA. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1083.
Quintana-Ashwell, N.; Gholson, D.M.; Krutz, L.J.; Henry, C.G.; Cooke, T. Adoption of Water-Conserving Irrigation Practices among Row-crop Growers in Mississippi, USA. Agronomy2020, 10, 1083.
Quintana-Ashwell, N.; Gholson, D.M.; Krutz, L.J.; Henry, C.G.; Cooke, T. Adoption of Water-Conserving Irrigation Practices among Row-crop Growers in Mississippi, USA. Agronomy 2020, 10, 1083.
Abstract
This article identifies irrigated row-crop farmer factors associated with the adoption of water conserving practices. The analysis is performed on data from a survey of irrigators in Mississippi. Regression results show that the number of irrigated acres, years of education, perception of a groundwater problem, and participation in conservation programs are positively associated with practice adoption; while number of years farming, growing rice, and pumping cost are negatively associated with adoption. However, not all factors are statistically significant for all practices. Survey results indicate that only a third of growers are aware of groundwater problems at the farm or state level; and this lack of awareness is related to whether farmers noticed a change in the depth-to-water distance in their irrigation wells. This evidence is consistent with a report to Congress from the Government Accountability Office (GAO) that recommends policies promoting the use of: (1) more efficient irrigation technology and practices and (2) precision agriculture technologies, such as soil moisture sensors and irrigation automation.
Keywords
irrigation; groundwater; alluvial aquifer; water conservation adoption; row crops; Mississippi Delta; precision agriculture; Lower Mississippi River Valley
Subject
Business, Economics and Management, Economics
Copyright:
This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
