Farm water

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An agricultural sprinkler Agricultural Sprinklers.jpg
An agricultural sprinkler

Farm water, also known as agricultural water, is water committed for use in the production of food and fibre and collecting for further resources. In the US, some 80% of the fresh water withdrawn from rivers and groundwater is used to produce food and other agricultural products. [1] Farm water may include water used in the irrigation of crops or the watering of livestock. Its study is called agricultural hydrology .

Contents

Water is one of the most fundamental parts of the global economy. In areas without healthy water resources or sanitation services, economic growth cannot be sustained. [2] Without access to clean water, nearly every industry would suffer, most notably agriculture. As water scarcity grows as a global concern, food security is also brought into consideration. A recent example of this could be the drought in California; for every $100 spent on foods from this state, a consumer is projected to pay up to $15 additionally. [3]

Livestock water use

Livestock and meat production have some of the largest water footprints of the agricultural industry, taking nearly 1,800 gallons of water to produce one pound of beef and 576 gallons for pork. About 108 gallons of water are needed to harvest one pound of corn. [4] Livestock production is also one of the most resource-intensive agricultural outputs. This is largely due to their large feed conversion ratio. Livestock's large water consumption may also be attributed to the amount of time needed to raise an animal to slaughter. Again, in an invalid contrast to corn, which grows to maturity in about 100 days, about 995 days are needed to grow cattle. The global "food animal" population is just over 20 billion creatures; with 7+ billion humans, this equates to about 2.85 animals per human. [4]

Cattle

The beef and dairy industries are the most lucrative branches of the U.S. agricultural industry, but they are also the most resource intensive. To date, beef is the most popular of the meats; the U.S. alone produced 25.8 billion pounds in 2013. [4] In this same year, 201.2 billion pounds of milk were produced. [5] These cattle are mostly raised in centralized animal feeding operations, or CAFOs. Typically, a mature cow consumes 7 to 24 gallons of water a day; lactating cows require about twice as much water. [6] The amount of water that cattle may drink in a day also depends upon the temperature. [7]
Cattle have a feed conversion ratio of 6:1, for every six pounds of food consumed, the animal should gain one pound. [8] Thus, there is also a substantial "indirect" need for water in order to grow the feed for the livestock. Growing the amount of feed grains necessary for raising livestock accounts for 56 percent of the U.S water consumption. [9] Of a 1,000 pound cow, only 430 pounds make it to the retail markets. [10] This 18 percent loss, creates an even greater demand for cattle, being that CAFOs must make up for this lost profitable weight, by increasing the number of cows that they raise.

Water scarcity is not necessarily a new issue, however, cattle ranchers in America have been cutting herd sizes since the 1950s in efforts to curb water and manufacturing costs. This shift has led to more efficient feeding and health methods, allowing ranchers to harvest more beef per animal. [11] The rising popularity of these CAFOs are creating a larger demand for water, however. Grass-fed or grazing cows consume about twelve percent more water through the ingestion of live plants, than those cows who are fed dried grains. [12]

Chickens in industrial coops Industrial-Chicken-Coop.JPG
Chickens in industrial coops

Poultry and fowl

Water is one of the most crucial aspects of poultry raising, as like all animals, they use this to carry food through their system, assist in digestion, and regulate body temperature. Farmers monitor flock water consumption to measure the overall health of their birds. As birds grow older they consume more feed and about three times as much water because they are three times larger. [13] In just three weeks, a 1000-bird flock's water consumption should increase by about 10 gallons a day. [13] Water consumption is also influenced by temperature. In hot weather, birds pant to keep cool, thus losing much of their water. [14] A study based in Ohio showed that 67% of water sampled near poultry farms contained antibiotics. [15]

Horticulture water use

A newly planted tomato plant on a tomato farm in North Queensland, Australia Tomato plant 1000x750.jpg
A newly planted tomato plant on a tomato farm in North Queensland, Australia

With modern advancements, crops are being cultivated year round in countries all around the world.[ citation needed ] As water usage becomes a more pervasive global issue, irrigation practices for crops are being refined and becoming more sustainable. While several irrigation systems are used, these may be grouped into two types: high flow and low flow. These systems must be managed precisely to prevent runoff, overspray, or low-head drainage. [16]

Scarcity of water in agriculture

About 60 years ago, the common perception was that water was an infinite resource. At that time, fewer than half the current number of people were on the planet. Standard of living was not as high, so individuals consumed fewer calories, and ate less meat, so less water was needed to produce their food. They required a third of the volume of water presently taken from rivers. Today, the competition for water resources is much more intense, because nearly eight billion people are now on the planet, and their consumption of meat and vegetables is rising. Competition for water from industry, urbanisation, and biofuel crops is rising congruently. To avoid a global water crisis, farmers will have to make strides to increase productivity to meet growing demands for food, while industry and cities find ways to use water more efficiently. [17]

Successful agriculture is dependent upon farmers having sufficient access to water, but water scarcity is already a critical constraint to farming in many parts of the world. Physical water scarcity is where not enough water is available to meet all demands, including that needed for ecosystems to function effectively. Arid regions frequently suffer from physical water scarcity. It also occurs where water seems abundant, but where resources are over-committed. This can happen where hydraulic infrastructure is over-developed, usually for irrigation. Symptoms of physical water scarcity include environmental degradation and declining groundwater. Economic scarcity, meanwhile, is caused by a lack of investment in water or insufficient human capacity to satisfy the demand for water. Symptoms of economic water scarcity include a lack of infrastructure, with people often having to fetch water from rivers for domestic and agricultural uses. Some 2.8 billion people currently live in water-scarce areas. [18] In developed countries, environmental regulations restrict water availability by redirecting water to aid endangered species, such as snail darters.

Sustainable water use

A rooftop rainwater harvesting system in Trinidad, 2003 Rooftop rainwater harvesting.jpg
A rooftop rainwater harvesting system in Trinidad, 2003

While water use affects environmental degradation and economic growth, it is also sparking innovation regarding new irrigation methods. In 2006, the USDA predicted that if the agricultural sector improved water efficiency by just 10%, farms could save upwards of $200 million per year. [21] Many of the practices that cut water use are cost effective. Farmers who use straw, compost, or mulch around their crops can reduce evaporation by about 75%, though the input costs are neither inexpensive nor readily available in some areas. [22] This would also reduce the number of weeds and save a farmer from using herbicides. Mulches or ground covers also allow the soils to absorb more water by reducing compaction. The use of white or pale gravel is also practiced, as it reduces evaporation and keeps soil temperatures low by reflecting sunlight.[ citation needed ]

In addition to reducing water loss at the sink, more sustainable ways to harvest water also can be used. Many modern small (nonindustrial) farmers are using rain barrels to collect the water needed for their crops and livestock. On average, rainwater harvesting where rain is frequent reduces the cost of water in half. [23] This would also greatly reduce the stress on local aquifers and wells. Because farmers use the roofs of their buildings to gather this water, this also reduced rainwater runoff and soil erosion on and around their farms.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beef</span> Meat from cattle

Beef is the culinary name for meat from cattle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intensive farming</span> Branch of agricultire

Intensive agriculture, also known as intensive farming, conventional, or industrial agriculture, is a type of agriculture, both of crop plants and of animals, with higher levels of input and output per unit of agricultural land area. It is characterized by a low fallow ratio, higher use of inputs such as capital and labour, and higher crop yields per unit land area.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal husbandry</span> Management, selective breeding, and care of farm animals by humans

Animal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with animals that are raised for meat, fibre, milk, or other products. It includes day-to-day care, selective breeding, and the raising of livestock. Husbandry has a long history, starting with the Neolithic Revolution when animals were first domesticated, from around 13,000 BC onwards, predating farming of the first crops. By the time of early civilisations such as ancient Egypt, cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs were being raised on farms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Feedlot</span> An array of pens for feeding livestock for human consumption

A feedlot or feed yard is a type of animal feeding operation (AFO) which is used in intensive animal farming, notably beef cattle, but also swine, horses, sheep, turkeys, chickens or ducks, prior to slaughter. Large beef feedlots are called concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFO) in the United States and intensive livestock operations (ILOs) or confined feeding operations (CFO) in Canada. They may contain thousands of animals in an array of pens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fodder</span> Agricultural foodstuff used to feed domesticated animals

Fodder, also called provender, is any agricultural foodstuff used specifically to feed domesticated livestock, such as cattle, rabbits, sheep, horses, chickens and pigs. "Fodder" refers particularly to food given to the animals, rather than that which they forage for themselves. Fodder includes hay, straw, silage, compressed and pelleted feeds, oils and mixed rations, and sprouted grains and legumes. Most animal feed is from plants, but some manufacturers add ingredients to processed feeds that are of animal origin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle feeding</span> Description of husbandry practice

There are different systems of feeding cattle in animal husbandry. For pastured animals, grass is usually the forage that composes the majority of their diet. Cattle reared in feedlots are fed hay supplemented with grain, soy and other ingredients to increase the energy density of the feed. The debate is whether cattle should be raised on fodder primarily composed of grass or a concentrate. The issue is complicated by the political interests and confusion between labels such as "free range", "organic", or "natural". Cattle raised on a primarily foraged diet are termed grass-fed or pasture-raised; for example meat or milk may be called grass-fed beef or pasture-raised dairy. The term "pasture-raised" can lead to confusion with the term "free range", which does not describe exactly what the animals eat.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Concentrated animal feeding operation</span> Type of American intensive animal farming

In animal husbandry, a concentrated animal feeding operation, as defined by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), is an intensive animal feeding operation (AFO) in which over 1,000 animal units are confined for over 45 days a year. An animal unit is the equivalent of 1,000 pounds of "live" animal weight. A thousand animal units equates to 700 dairy cows, 1,000 meat cows, 2,500 pigs weighing more than 55 pounds (25 kg), 10,000 pigs weighing under 55 pounds, 10,000 sheep, 55,000 turkeys, 125,000 chickens, or 82,000 egg laying hens or pullets.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental vegetarianism</span> Type of practice of vegetarianism

Environmental vegetarianism is the practice of vegetarianism that is motivated by the desire to create a sustainable diet, which avoids the negative environmental impact of meat production. Livestock as a whole is estimated to be responsible for around 15% of global greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, significant reduction in meat consumption has been advocated by, among others, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change in their 2019 special report and as part of the 2017 World Scientists' Warning to Humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pastoral farming</span> Method for producing livestock

Pastoral farming is aimed at producing livestock, rather than growing crops. Examples include dairy farming, raising beef cattle, and raising sheep for wool. In contrast, arable farming concentrates on crops rather than livestock. Finally, mixed farming incorporates livestock and crops on a single farm. Some mixed farmers grow crops purely as fodder for their livestock; some crop farmers grow fodder and sell it. In some cases pastoral farmers are known as graziers, and in some cases pastoralists. Pastoral farming is a non-nomadic form of pastoralism in which the livestock farmer has some form of ownership of the land used, giving the farmer more economic incentive to improve the land. Unlike other pastoral systems, pastoral farmers are sedentary and do not change locations in search of fresh resources. Rather, pastoral farmers adjust their pastures to fit the needs of their animals. Improvements include drainage, stock tanks, irrigation and sowing clover.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Beef cattle</span> Breed of cattle

Beef cattle are cattle raised for meat production. The meat of mature or almost mature cattle is mostly known as beef. In beef production there are three main stages: cow-calf operations, backgrounding, and feedlot operations. The production cycle of the animals starts at cow-calf operations; this operation is designed specifically to breed cows for their offspring. From here the calves are backgrounded for a feedlot. Animals grown specifically for the feedlot are known as feeder cattle, the goal of these animals is fattening. Animals not grown for a feedlot are typically female and are commonly known as replacement heifers. While the principal use of beef cattle is meat production, other uses include leather, and beef by-products used in candy, shampoo, cosmetics, and insulin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Industrial agriculture</span>

Industrial agriculture is a form of modern farming that refers to the industrialized production of crops and animals and animal products like eggs or milk. The methods of industrial agriculture include innovation in agricultural machinery and farming methods, genetic technology, techniques for achieving economies of scale in production, the creation of new markets for consumption, the application of patent protection to genetic information, and global trade. These methods are widespread in developed nations and increasingly prevalent worldwide. Most of the meat, dairy, eggs, fruits and vegetables available in supermarkets are produced in this way.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Intensive animal farming</span> Branch of agriculture

Intensive animal farming, industrial livestock production, and macro-farms, also known by opponents as factory farming, is a type of intensive agriculture, specifically an approach to animal husbandry designed to maximize production, while minimizing costs. To achieve this, agribusinesses keep livestock such as cattle, poultry, and fish at high stocking densities, at large scale, and using modern machinery, biotechnology, and global trade. The main products of this industry are meat, milk and eggs for human consumption. There are issues regarding whether intensive animal farming is sustainable in the social long-run given its costs in resources. Analysts also raise issues about its ethics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Animal feed</span> Food for various animals

Animal feed is food given to domestic animals, especially livestock, in the course of animal husbandry. There are two basic types: fodder and forage. Used alone, the word feed more often refers to fodder. Animal feed is an important input to animal agriculture, and is frequently the main cost of the raising or keeping of animals. Farms typically try to reduce cost for this food, by growing their own, grazing animals, or supplementing expensive feeds with substitutes, such as food waste like spent grain from beer brewing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Low-carbon diet</span> Diet to reduce greenhouse gas emissions

A low-carbon diet is a diet with low greenhouse gas emissions. Choosing a low carbon diet is one facet of developing sustainable diets which increase the long-term sustainability of humanity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Environmental impacts of animal agriculture</span> Harms to nature from farming meat, eggs and dairy

The environmental impacts of animal agriculture vary because of the wide variety of agricultural practices employed around the world. Despite this, all agricultural practices have been found to have a variety of effects on the environment to some extent. Animal agriculture, in particular meat production, can cause pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, biodiversity loss, disease, and significant consumption of land, food, and water. Meat is obtained through a variety of methods, including organic farming, free-range farming, intensive livestock production, and subsistence agriculture. The livestock sector also includes wool, egg, and dairy production, the livestock used for tillage, and fish farming.

The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) defines an animal feeding operation (AFO) in the Code of Federal Regulations as a lot or facility where the following conditions are met:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Livestock</span> Animals kept for production of meat, eggs, milk, wool, etc.

Livestock are the domesticated animals raised in an agricultural setting to provide labor and produce diversified products for consumption such as meat, eggs, milk, fur, leather, and wool. The term is sometimes used to refer solely to animals who are raised for consumption, and sometimes used to refer solely to farmed ruminants, such as cattle, sheep, goats, and pigs. Horses are considered livestock in the United States. The USDA classifies pork, veal, beef, and lamb (mutton) as livestock, and all livestock as red meat. Poultry and fish are not included in the category. The latter is likely due to the fact that fish products are not governed by the USDA, but by the FDA.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Insect farming</span> Raising and breeding insects as livestock

Insect farming is the practice of raising and breeding insects as livestock, also referred to as minilivestock or micro stock. Insects may be farmed for the commodities they produce, or for them themselves; to be used as food, as feed, as a dye, and otherwise.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cattle</span> Large, domesticated, cloven-hooved herbivores

Cattle are large, domesticated, cloven-hooved herbivores. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae and the most widespread species of the genus Bos. Mature female cattle are referred to as cows and mature male cattle are referred to as bulls. Colloquially, young female cattle (heifers), young male cattle (bullocks) and castrated male cattle (steers) are also referred to as "cows".

This glossary of agriculture is a list of definitions of terms and concepts used in agriculture, its sub-disciplines, and related fields. For other glossaries relevant to agricultural science, see Glossary of biology, Glossary of ecology, Glossary of environmental science, and Glossary of botanical terms.

References

  1. ↑ "USDA Economic Research Service - Irrigation & Water Use". www.ers.usda.gov. Archived from the original on 2015-11-15. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  2. ↑ "Water Scarcity: Economic Implications | Water Resource | Water Economy". Growing Blue. Archived from the original on 2015-12-01. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  3. ↑ "Water crisis in California to drive up food prices". ABC10. Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  4. 1 2 3 "Meat's large water footprint: why raising livestock and poultry for meat is so resource-intensive". Food Tank. 16 December 2013. Archived from the original on 2015-11-26. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  5. ↑ "Central Marketing Area - Federal Order 32" (PDF). Fmmacentral.com. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2016-03-04. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  6. ↑ "How much water do cows drink | UNL Beef | Nebraska". Beef.unl.edu. 2016-07-19. Archived from the original on 2015-11-07. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  7. ↑ "Water Availability and Distribution for Livestock". www.noble.org. Archived from the original on 2015-11-17. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  8. ↑ "Cattlemen's College: Cattle Feed Efficiency". Agriculture Proud. 6 February 2012. Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  9. ↑ "Center for Science in the Public Interest" (PDF). Cspinet.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2015-08-28. Retrieved 2018-08-01.
  10. ↑ "Retail Markets" (PDF). Archived (PDF) from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 1 August 2018.
  11. ↑ "Beef and Water Use: Has the Drought had an Impact?". Facts About Beef. Archived from the original on 2015-11-18. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  12. ↑ Livestock's long shadow : environmental issues and options. Rome: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. 2006. ISBN   9789251055717. OCLC   77563364.
  13. 1 2 "Broiler Water Consumption". The Poultry Site. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  14. ↑ "Poultry Drinking Water Primer | Publications | UGA Extension". extension.uga.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  15. ↑ Campagnolo, E. R.; et al. (2002). "Antimicrobial residues in animal waste and water resources proximal to large-scale swine and poultry feeding operations". Science of the Total Environment. 299 (1–3): 89–95. doi:10.1016/S0048-9697(02)00233-4. PMID   12462576.
  16. ↑ "Types of Irrigation Systems". togetherweconservelandscape.com. Archived from the original on 2015-11-03. Retrieved 2015-11-17.
  17. ↑ Chartres, C. and Varma, S. Out of water. From Abundance to Scarcity and How to Solve the World’s Water Problems FT Press (USA), 2010
  18. ↑ Molden, D. (Ed). Water for food, Water for life: A Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture. Earthscan/IWMI, 2007.
  19. ↑ "Agricultural water as a share of total water withdrawals". Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  20. ↑ "Agricultural water withdrawals". Our World in Data. Retrieved 15 February 2020.
  21. ↑ USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. (2006). Energy Management. Conservation Resource Brief.
  22. ↑ "Prevent weeds, improve soil and save water by mulching your garden | Oregon State University Extension Service | Gardening". extension.oregonstate.edu. Archived from the original on 2015-12-11. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
  23. ↑ "Agricultural Rainwater Harvesting". oasis-rainharvesting.co.uk. Archived from the original on 2015-12-22. Retrieved 2015-12-11.
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