On-farm management of agricultural drainage water: An economic analysis

Knapp, K; Dinar, A; Letey, J

On-farm management of agricultural drainage water: An economic analysis

Authors

Keith Knapp
Ariel Dinar
John Letey

Authors Affiliations

Keith Knapp was Associate Professor of Resource Economics, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside; Ariel Dinar was former Postdoctoral Research Agricultural Economist, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside, is currently with the Department of Agricultural Economics and Management, Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Rehovot, Israel; John Letey was Professor of Soil Physics, Department of Soil and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Riverside.

Publication Information

Hilgardia 54(4):1-31. DOI:10.3733/hilg.v54n04p020. July 1986.

PDF of full article, Cite this article

Abstract

This paper analyzes optimal management strategies for farms with limited natural drainage and no access to off-farm disposal facilities. A representative farm with conditions typical of a drainage problem area in the San Joaquin Valley is considered, using a long-run steady-state model. Optimal, profit-maximizing water applications were significantly less for this farm than would be profitable for a farm with no drainage problems. Relatively high yield levels were maintained, and the required pond size was relatively small. Comparatively little crop switching occurred relative to that on a farm with unlimited natural drainage, and drainwater reuse was not profitable when all costs were considered.

Access to an off-farm disposal facility brought significant benefits, and a moderate discharge fee significantly reduced effluent volumes. A plausible amount of underground drainage flow to the farm had little effect. With uniform water applications, returns to land and management are significantly greater than with non-uniform applications, and the pond size is almost negligible. Water application levels are almost identical in the limited and unlimited drainage cases, when water is applied uniformly.

Literature Cited

Beck L. A. Case history: San Joaquin Valley. Calif. Agric. 1984. 38(10):16-17.

California Department of Water Resources. Kern County ground water model 1977. p.138. District Report, Calif. Dept. Water Resour

Dinar A., Knapp K. C. A dynamic analysis of optimal water use under saline conditions. West. J. Agric. Econ. 1986. 11(1): (In press.)

Dinar A., Letey J., Knapp K. C. Economic evaluation of salinity, drainage and non-uniformity of infiltrated irrigation water. Agric. Water Manage. 1985. 10(3):221-33. DOI: 10.1016/0378-3774(85)90013-7 [CrossRef]

Feinerman E., Letey J., Vaux H. J. Jr. The economics of irrigation with nonuniform infiltration. Water Resour. Res. 1983. 19(6):1410-14. DOI: 10.1029/WR019i006p01410 [CrossRef]

Feinerman E., Yaron D. Economics of irrigation water mixing within a farm framework. Water Resour. Res. 1983. 19(2):337-45. DOI: 10.1029/WR019i002p00337 [CrossRef]

Fereres E., Meyer J. L., Aljibury F. K., Schulbach H., Marsh A. W., Reed A. D. Irrigation costs 1981. p.16. Univ. Calif. Div. Agric. Nat. Resour. Leaflet 2875

Fitz J. C., Horner G. L., Snyder J. H. The economic feasibility of installing subsurface tile drainage in the Panoche Water District, San Joaquin Valley, California. Univ. Calif. Div. Agric. Nat. Resour. Bulletin. 1980. 1897:59

Hanke S. H., Carver P. H., Bugg P. Project evaluation during inflation. Water Resour. Res. 1975. 11(4):511-14. DOI: 10.1029/WR011i004p00511 [CrossRef]

Hanson B. R. Effects of increasing drainage in the San Joaquin Valley. Calif. Agric. 1984. 38(10):40-41.

Highstreet A., Nuckton C. F., Horner G. L. Agricultural water use and costs in California 1980. Univ. Calif. Div. Agric. Nat. Resour. Bulletin 1896.41 pp

Hoffman G. J., Van Genuchten M. TH., Taylor H. M., Jordan W. R., Sinclair T. R. Soil properties and efficient water use: Water management for salinity control. Limitations to Efficient Water Use in Crop Production. 1983. Madison: American Society of Agronomy. p. 73-85.

Kelley R. L., Nye R. L. Historical perspective on salinity and drainage problems in California. Calif. Agric. 1984. 38(10):4-6.

Letey J. Irrigation uniformity as related to optimum crop production—additional research is needed. Irrig. Sci. 1985. 6(4):253-63.

Letey J., Dinar A. Simulated crop-water production functions for several crops when irrigated with saline waters. Hilgardia. 1986. 54(1):32 DOI: 10.3733/hilg.v54n01p032 [CrossRef]

Letey J., Dinar A., Knapp K. Crop-water production function model for saline irrigation waters. Soil Sci. Soc. Am. J. 1985. 49(4):1005-09. DOI: 10.2136/sssaj1985.03615995004900040043x [CrossRef]

Letey J., Vaux H. J. Jr., Feinerman E. Optimum crop water application as affected by uniformity of water infiltration. Agron. J. 1984. 76:435-41.

Maas E. V., Hoffman G. J. Crop salt tolerance—current assessment. J. Irrig. Drainage Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. 103 (IR2), Proc. Paper. 1977. 12993:115-34.

Matanga G. B., Marino M. A. Irrigation planning: 2, Water allocation for leaching and irrigation purposes. Water Resour. Res. 1979. 15(3):679-83. DOI: 10.1029/WR015i003p00679 [CrossRef]

Moore C. V., Snyder J. H., Sun P. Effects of Colorado River water quality and supply on irrigated agriculture. Water Resour. Res. 1974. 10(2):137-44. DOI: 10.1029/WR010i002p00137 [CrossRef]

Murtagh B. A., Saunders M. A. Minos user’s guide 1977. pp.77-9. Stanford Univ. Dep. Oper. Res. Tech. Rep. 127 pp

Rhoades J. D. Potential for using saline agricultural drainage waters for irrigation 1977. pp.85-115. Proc. Water Manage. Irrig. Drainage, Am. Soc. Civ. Eng. Reno

San Joaquin Valley Interagency Drainage Program (SJVIDP). Agricultural drainage and salt management in the San Joaquin Valley. Calif. Dep. Water Resour. 1979. p.166.

Solomon K. Water-salinity-production functions 1984. p.19. Proc. Am. Soc. Agric. Eng. Paper 84-2616

Summers J. B. South fork Kings River drainage study. California State Water Resources Control Board. 1983. Regional Water Quality Control Board, Central Valley Region.

Turk L. J. Evaporation of brine: A brief study on the Bonneville Salt Flats, Utah. Water Resour. Res. 1970. 6(4):1209-15.

United States Department of Commerce. Climatological data: California. Nat. Oceanic Atmos. Adm. 1965-1974.

Van Schilfgaarde J. Drainage for agriculture 1974. Am. Soc. Agron. Monograph 17

Watson W. D., Nuckton C. F., Howitt R. E. Crop production and water supply characteristics of Kern County 1980. Univ. Calif. Div. Agric. Nat. Resour. Bulletin 1895. 96 pp

Yaron D., Olian A. Application of dynamic programming in Markov chains to the evaluation of water quality in irrigation. Am. J. Agric. Econ. 1973. 55(3):467-71. DOI: 10.2307/1239127 [CrossRef]

Also in this issue:

New technologies are changing the face of agriculture

The case of the FLAVR SAVR tomato

Q&A: Developing nations key to solving global food, resource problems

Sidebar: News from the UC plant genomics frontier

Organics profit from premiums

Scientists study farm over century

Controversy over agricultural biotechnology continues

Structural adjustment, resources, global economy to challenge California agriculture

Perspective: Is this California agriculture's last century?

Growth predicted in biologically integrated and organic farming

Transgenes are revolutionizing crop production

Perspective: How natural is modern agriculture?

Genetic engineering to improve quality, productivity and value of crops

Genetic engineering and cloning may improve milk, livestock production

Advanced information systems to improve livestock management

Precision agriculture can increase profits and limit environmental impacts

Commercialization of university research brings benefits, raises issues and concerns