Reducing & Optimizing Water Use On Your Farm

Agriculture is one of the biggest consumers of water in the United States, taking up 80% of total water used. So many aspects of farming use up a great deal of water, and you may not even be aware of all of them! Water is used on crops, for irrigation, as frost control, for livestock, and as a means of delivering pesticides and fertilizers. The sheer amount of water used costs farmers millions each year, and it depletes the water supply which negatively affects the environment. In states with arid climates and in those that are suffering droughts, that impact becomes even greater.

Using water more effectively and reducing how much is used will help you to save money and spare the environment without compromising the integrity of your farming operation. Rivera's Machinery, Inc. is your Texas farm equipment dealer, so we’ve prepared this guide to help you with optimal water usage. We’re located in Donna, TX, so come to us when you need some tools to help you with your farm work.

Understand Where Water Comes From

First, it’s helpful to learn where, exactly, the water you use in agriculture comes from. Different sources are more eco-friendly and more feasible than others, so if you can choose these over those that aren’t so cost-effective or are harder to access, you’ll instantly save yourself some cash. The primary sources of agricultural water include groundwater, rainwater, surface water, and municipal water systems.

Groundwater is found underneath the Earth’s surface in aquifers, which are porous layers of rock and sediment. The water table, a term you’ve no doubt heard referenced when discussing groundwater sources, is the portion of saturated sediment that’s closest to the surface. Usually, groundwater is sourced from wells and is only slowly replenished over very long periods of time, so you’ll need to limit your usage of it to preserve the water table by supplementing groundwater with other water sources.

Rainwater is easy to collect in ponds and cisterns for later use on your farm during dry periods. It’s a sustainable and free form of water. Those who live in very rainy areas benefit from the free crop irrigation, but for those of us in drier places like our fair state, we need to be able to conserve as much rainwater as possible when we get it. Even if you only collect rainwater in small amounts, it’s still useful for animal troughs and smaller chores.

Surface water is whatever water is available in irrigation ditches, rivers, streams, and reservoirs. This resource is freely available, but it doesn’t renew very quickly. Supplementation will be necessary when making use of surface water.

Finally, if you’re near a city, your farm may be able to tap into municipal water supplies, although this is expensive in the long term due to how much water farms use. You may want to allocate municipal water to your farmhouse only, then use other sources for your crops and livestock.

Practical Water Use Strategies

There are a number of different strategies you can use to reduce water usage. You may use one of these alone or combine them to be more conservative. Some practical strategies include drip irrigation, scheduling around precipitation, and going organic.

Drip irrigation allows you to deliver water precisely to plant roots and it can reduce crop water usage by 80%. Yields can be increased by using drip irrigation since it more thoroughly penetrates the soil. Water waste is reduced as well.

Scheduling your irrigation can allow you to make use of rainfall when it happens. This can prevent you from over-watering your farm. Keep an eye on weather forecasts and only water crops during dry periods. Monitoring moisture levels in the soil will help you to ensure your crops are adequately watered.

Going organic is a great way to make your farm more sustainable and eco-friendly. Organic farms can have up to 30% higher yields thanks to the reduced usage of pesticides. This means you’re not polluting the groundwater supply, too.

We hope this guide helps you to more effectively use water around your farm! Come into our Donna dealership to check out our current selection of new and used farming equipment for sale. Rivera’s Machinery, Inc. proudly serves the cities of San Benito and Harlingen, TX.