As we enter an era of increasing water scarcity, there is a growing interest to find ways to capture and put water to more productive uses. Substantial increases in the productivity of water in agriculture are needed to meet the demands for food and ensure environmental security, and to satisfy the demands for non-agricultural uses. However, increasing water productivity in rice-dominated agriculture is a function of the irrigation infrastructure, advances in rice-plant breeding, and the physical, institutional and socioeconomic environments. This paper first describes the potential ways in which increased water productivity can be achieved in the context of rice production in Asia. It then illustrates the ways in which the differences in the environmental context affect the ability to increase water productivity, the approaches used and the incentives to do so. This is explained using two ‘case studies’ reflecting the experiences of Taiwan and the Philippines over the past half-century.

The report uses a nutritional water productivity (NWP) framework to interpret the relationship between nutrition and water in the context of water challenges. It argues that higher yields – of both staple and nutritious crops – are possible, even in water-stressed areas. This will require an agricultural transformation that ensures that efforts to enhance water productivity are linked to the promotion of healthy diets. Increasing water productivity and stabilizing yields at realistic levels will also be crucial to increasing the resilience of farmers. Better coordination and timing of water and other inputs, notably fertilizers and improved seeds, is likely to enhance productivity and to reduce the threats of a further encroachment of agriculture into other ecosystems. A diversified production system is required for food security, nutrition and poverty alleviation. There is an opportunity to provide strategic support for crops and other farm produce with high economic and nutritional value. A range of crops and other produce can be included in farming systems ranging from rainfed to irrigated agriculture. For the farmers to be stimulated and able to capitalize on the increasing need and demand for such produce, the development of markets, and associated investments in cold storage, roads/transport and food procurement programmes that prioritize nutritious produce will be key.

First title in a major new seriesAddresses improving water productivity to relieve problems of scarcity and competition to provide for food and environmental securityDraws from scientists having a multitude of disciplines to approach this important problemIn a large number of developing countries, policy makers and researchers are increasingly aware of the conflicting demands on water, and look at agriculture to be more effective in its use of water. Focusing on both irrigated and rain-fed agriculture, this book gives a state of the art review of the limits and opportunities for improving water productivity in crop production. It demonstrates how efficiency of water use can be enhanced to maximize yields. The book represents the first in a new series of volumes resulting from the Comprehensive Assessment of Water Management in Agriculture, a research program conducted by the CGIAR's Future Harvest Centres, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations and partners worldwide. It will be of significant interest to those working in areas of soil and crop science, water management, irrigation, and development studies.

Water Productivity and Food Security: Global Trends and Regional Patterns, Volume Three reviews the need for water productivity improvements in agriculture, addressing three distinct questions pertaining to agricultural water productivity improvement in developing countries, including what are the regions where water is a limiting factor for raising agricultural outputs and water productivity improvements, what are the technological measures in irrigation that can raise agricultural water productivity and result in water saving at various scales, and what opportunities exist in the developing economies of South Asia and Africa for raising water productivity and improving water economy at basin scale. This book provides a framework to characterize river basins based on water availability, water supplies, water uses and water demands to ascertain the need and measures available for improving crop water productivity that would be effective at various scales, i.e., plant-level, plot-level, irrigation system level and basin level. This is an essential reference for anyone interested in water management and agriculture. - Presents clear explanations of the physical and technical measures that can be adopted to improve productivity of water in agricultural production under different basin conditions - Offers physical strategies for improving water productivity in agriculture in different agroecological regions, along with the institutional and policy measures that affect them - Includes methodologies for assessing the food security challenges of individual nations using empirical analysis and global datasets

Water a key natural resource, fundamental to life, livelihood, food security and sustainable development is rapidly becoming scarce and limited. Agriculture is the major water user in our country utilizing nearly 70-80 per cent of all the utilizable water resources of the country. Therefore, Agricultural Water Management (AWM) interventions aim at enhancing per capita benefits, while preventing the degradation of natural resource bases of land, water and ecosystem services. Evidence shows that AWM interventions have increased yields, which has helped areas with low productivity. In recent past a large number of new techniques and advanced tools have been invented in recent past which can enhance the water productivity in agriculture to a very high level. Knowledge adoption and extensive use of these tools and techniques needs proper dissemination. There is a dearth of ample number of technically trained manpower to undertake the work of On-farm AWM. Therefore, the present book has been organized with following specific objectives: i) to impart the advanced knowledge of On-farm water management using modern concepts, tools and techniques for assessing, planning and designing the AWM (irrigation and drainage) systems and to disseminate these techniques for enhancing crop water use efficiencies; ii) to train the readers in designing, installation operation and automated operation, controls and management of high-tech irrigation water management systems; and iii). to provide the participants an opportunity to discuss and exchange the new ideas/knowledge with experts/resource persons who have contributed substantially in Agricultural Water Management (AWM). The book has a very wide spectrum covering almost all topics pertaining to advanced concepts and methods of modern Agricultural Water Management. The present book will provide to the readers an in-depth understanding of various related topics pertaining to highly efficient irrigation water management for crop production and enhancing agricultural water productivity such as scientific design and layout of farm irrigation and drainage, soil water content measurement using TDR/Neutron Moisture meters/Soil moisture probe, geophysical techniques of groundwater exploration etc. It will elaborate the concepts and methodology of using modern instruments and systems of irrigation such as drip, sprinkler, rain gun, level basin system etc. that would be an added benefit. Applications of modern techniques such as GIS and remote sensing applications for enhancing water resources use efficiencies in irrigation project, sensor based weather data collection and automated irrigation management and control systems under open field and covered cultivation have been explained in depth. The book shall impart the comprehensive knowledge on advanced concepts in Soil-Plant-Climate interactions, scientific estimation of crop water demand, various irrigation scheduling criterions and application of modern tools and techniques such as; application of computer softwares (such as EQUITA/DRIPD/CROPWAT/AQACROP/IMPASSE/USAR etc.) for irrigation planning and management; under different water supply scenarios in a lucid manner.

Make the best use of available water for your crops! Water Use in Crop Production explores innovative methods that determine how much water certain crops need, in certain climates, in order to ensure adequate plant growth and help eliminate water waste. Through this informative book, agronomists, growers, researchers, and graduate students will find methods and techniques for effective water management that will save money and conserve water. Water Use in Crop Production will enable you enhance crop quality and quantity and save one of the earth's most important resource. Comprehensive and thorough, this essential book combines two vital needs, food and water, and examines what must be done in order to keep up with the ever-growing human population. Explaining conservation techniques used in Argentina, Australia, Israel, Morocco, New Zealand, the Philippines, Spain, and the United States, Water Use in Crop Production will help you achieve this goal as it discusses water management measures including: avoiding excessive deep percolation reducing runoff lessening water evaporation through methods such as reducing the capillary water flow to the surface of the soil determining the rates at which water is demanded and can be supplied in a specific area to create a plan for limiting water loss studying the root structure of plants to calculate how much water they need using deficit irrigation to help plants save water for future use evaluating citrus water use through the Penman-Monteith model Containing charts, tables, and examples of the concepts it discusses, this book is the culmination of the latest studies on water storage. Water Use in Crop Production provides you with reliable strategies and methods that will help you lessen water expenditures and improve the vitality of crops anywhere in the world.

By 2050, the world’s population will reach 9.1 billion, which requires an increase of food production by 70 percent compared to 2005 (FAO,2018). Nearly all the increase will occur in developing countries, where agriculture plays a major role to provide employment, income and to improve food security. One of the major challenges of increasing food supply is the limited water resources. Agriculture, as the driver of freshwater exploitation has, therefore, to be transformed into more resource efficient production (FAO, 2003). The world’s limited freshwater resources are potentially threatened by the expansion of agriculture. Increasing the potential output per amount of water used is an appropriate practice to improve production efficiency while protecting water resources. Therefore, increasing the productivity of agricultural water use in a sustainable manner is essential to ultimately sustain the social and economic conditions of livelihoods. Crop water productivity has grown into one of the major approaches to cope with water scarcity and advance crop-water relation. The number of conceptual frameworks and implications is ample, but there is always a growing need to review the step-by-step approach beyond. In this Field guide, practical pathways are presented to provide a comprehensive approach for assessing and improving crop water productivity in small-scale agriculture. The Field guide draws lessons learned in three countries (Burkina Faso, Morocco and Uganda) within the framework of FAO project “Strengthening Agricultural Water Efficiency and Productivity at the African and Global Level” funded by Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC).

Water resources are linked to the global challenges of food insecurity and poverty, as well as to climate change adaptation and mitigation. In line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SGD), FAO works towards several dimensions of sustainable development, including the promotion of coherent approaches to efficient, productive and sustainable water management, from farm to river basin scales. Accordingly, FAO is enhancing well-informed on-the-ground decision-making processes on water management through projects, knowledge advancement, information-sharing and tools development, such as AquaCrop, the FAO crop-water productivity model. This model assists in assessing the effects of environment (including atmospheric CO2 concentration) and management on crop production through the simulation of yield response to water of herbaceous crops. It is particularly suited to address conditions where water is a key limiting factor in crop production. In 2009, FAO officially launched AquaCrop, being the result of several years of collaborative work among scientists, water and crop specialists and practitioners worldwide, bringing together previously fragmented information on crop yields in response to water use and water deficit. AquaCrop has evolved over the different versions released since its first launch, but it always balances accuracy, simplicity and robustness. This has enabled it to remain faithful to its goal, i.e., to be a dynamic tool accessible to several types of users, mainly practitioner-type end users, in different disciplines and for a wide range of applications. In addition, AquaCrop may be considered a valuable tool by research scientists for analysis and conceptualization.

The assessment of water productivity in livestock supply chains has a critical role to play in developing productive and sustainable food production systems worldwide. In particular, the evaluation of water productivity improvement options is key to addressing growing food demand and the projected impacts of climate change under conditions where the availability of land and water resources is increasingly limited. In this report, we review current applications of water productivity analysis in livestock supply chains. To do so, we analysed 50 livestock water productivity studies carried out in various regions of the world from 1993 to the present time. We reviewed the assessment goals, system boundaries, methodological approaches, water flows, modelling tools, databases, livestock species and the main findings in each of the studies. We found that there was no consistency in the methods and approaches used to assess water productivity in livestock production chains. The studies varied widely in terms of their assessment goals, methodology, and the sources of water used for the analysis. The main methodological differences were the inclusion or exclusion of background processes, such as water input and the treatment of precipitation in accounting for water use in livestock production processes. Another key issue was the missing uncertainty assessment, which can be classified as input data uncertainty or model uncertainty, as well as choice uncertainties. The review recommends the further development of guidelines that ensure a consistent and coordinated application of water productivity analysis of livestock production systems world-wide.

Conservation tillage systems have been adopted by farmers in many countries to solve the problem of land degradation and declining water productivity. Direct application of such tillage systems has not been possible among resource-poor, smallholder farmers in semi-arid areas of Ethiopia. Problems such as the lack of rainfall, the costs of herbicide