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Water-Use Efficiency

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Advances in Soil Science

Part of the book series: Advances in Soil Science ((SOIL,volume 13))

Abstract

Dryland farming is a rainfed crop production system in which the major limitation is a deficiency of water. Therefore, a major focus of dryland cropping systems is increasing efficiency of water use. Relatively few, but very important, principles underlie the farming practices that can lead to efficient water use. A maximum proportion of available water should be used for transpiration with minimum losses to evaporation, drainage, and runoff. Basically, that involves maintaining soil characteristics favorable to rapid infiltration of precipitation and retaining the water in the soil profile, cropping at a time and with a rooting intensity appropriate to use both seasonal precipitation and stored soil water, and establishing and extending a crop canopy as long as practical to minimize evaporation.

Contribution from USDA, Agricultural Research Service, Conservation and Production Research Laboratory, Bushland, Texas.

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Authors
  1. B. A. Stewart
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  2. J. L. Steiner
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Indian Council of Agricultural Research, Hyderabad, 500659, India

    R. P. Singh

  2. USDA Agricultural Research Service, Beltsville, Maryland, 20705, USA

    J. F. Parr

  3. USDA Conservation & Production Laboratory, Bushland, Texas, 79012, USA

    B. A. Stewart

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© 1990 Springer-Verlag New York Inc.

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Stewart, B.A., Steiner, J.L. (1990). Water-Use Efficiency. In: Singh, R.P., Parr, J.F., Stewart, B.A. (eds) Advances in Soil Science. Advances in Soil Science, vol 13. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8982-8_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4613-8982-8_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, New York, NY

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-8984-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4613-8982-8

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