Reducing And Optimizing Your Farm’s Water Usage
In the US, agriculture accounts for around 80% of all water consumption. It’s well worth it, but that’s still quite a drain, so we here at Mike Cooper Tractors have a few suggestions for reducing and optimizing your farm’s water usage. To learn more, or to see our agricultural equipment for sale, contact our store in Fort Gibson, Oklahoma, today!
Understanding Sources
Step one is understanding exactly where your water comes from and where you can turn to for additional sources. This way you can determine the most efficient and cost-effective way to get the water you need.
Surface water is a common one, typically collected in irrigation ditches, rivers, streams, canals, and collection resources like reservoirs and ponds. It’s free and easy to use, but it’s a limited supply in a dry state like ours, so be careful how and when you use it.
Groundwater is underground in an aquifer, which is made of sediment or rock that collects water. There’s a “zone of saturation” underground where this occurs, topped off by the water table, which is the closest part to the surface. You can collect this from wells and it replenishes over time. It’s also less vulnerable to pollution than surface water. Again, it’s a limited resource, so rely on this only as a supplement.
Rainwater is another free resource, though in our region it can be sparse. Collect what you can in ponds or cisterns to build up your supply over time, but again: we live in a dry state. It’s easily used for watering troughs and farmhouse purposes, though.
Municipal or city water supplies are fairly reliable, but expensive. Try to supplement what the city gives you with the other course.
Usage Systems
Considering how precious a resource water is, there are a few handy systems for making the most of it.
One of these is drip irrigation, which brings water straight to your crops’ roots rather than spraying it over them. This avoids wasting water on dry ground or losing it to evaporation. Used correctly, this can reduce water usage by almost 80%!
When possible, schedule irrigation around anticipated rainfall. Let the sky water your plants for you, as rare as that might be.
There are also crops that are better at handling droughts and dry conditions than others. Sorghum, millet, some legumes, and pomegranates are just a few. Other crops need no more water than what’s already present in the soil, so pay attention to microclimates in your area.
Another method is organic farming, which avoids pesticides and relies on soil moisture and local bacteria to keep plants healthy. These methods can also help you replenish your groundwater supplies and avoid filling them with toxic chemicals.
We hope this information helps you make the most of the water you get! For more information, or to see our stock of agricultural equipment, contact us at Mike Cooper Tractors. We proudly serve the people of Tulsa and Muskogee, Oklahoma—let us serve you today!