Q: As a mechanical practice, how does land leveling increase water savings?
A: In many productive irrigation systems, water savings depends on land leveling for uniform infiltration rates, productive labor and energy inputs, and distribution application efficiencies specifically for surface irrigation systems. Graded fields are also important for proper drainage and erosion control. Land leveling is the mechanized grading of a field used for agricultural purposes typically accomplished by using a laser controlled scraper pulled by a tractor. There are two reasons to grade a field. The first occurs to fields that have never been graded or to newly irrigated land.  The second is generally referred to as floating and occurs prior to field preparation of seed beds and/or borders.

Q: What are some of the benefits that can be seen by implementing an irrigation schedule?
A: The most important benefits include: maximizing yield, minimizing crop stress, decreasing runoff and deep percolation, avoiding over irrigation, reducing energy, water, and labor costs through fewer irrigation applications, as well as reducing water loss by way of soil/water evaporation and evapotranspiration.

Q: What is meant by limited or deficit irrigation?
A: Limited irrigation systems: 1) reduce acre under irrigation, 2) reduce irrigation water applied to the field per application and throughout the growing season, and 3) make use of the available recycled water. Limited irrigation systems work well where irrigation water is not readily available to meet crop-water requirements and in areas there are high competing demands for both ground and surface sources. Areas where water quality has become increasingly compromised also demand implementation of limited irrigation practices. Factors that will determine the ultimate success of limited irrigation strategies include crop choice in relation to climate, physical and chemical soil properties, as well as average precipitation and/or rainfall throughout the year and during the growing season. Because reduced yield is an obvious result of limited irrigation practices, the goal is to manage crops and water use for the greatest possible return for the crop grown. For this reason, it is important to implement additional water conservation techniques in conjunction with this system.

Q: How is most of the irrigation water applied to land in the United States?
A: According to USGS records from their 2000 survey, flood and sprinkler systems are now used on about the same acreages. Flood systems are useed on about 47% (29.4 million) of the 61.9 million irrigated acres in the U.S. while a variety of spray/sprinkler systems are used on 46% or 28.3 million acres. Micro irrigation systems are now used on about 4.2 million acres. Other than flood irrigation in the Mississippi River alluvial floodplain in Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi, most irrigation in the Southeast is by spray irrigation and most irrigation in the drier states of the Western U.S. is by flooding. There is growing use of micro irrigation systems for both surface and subsurface application on small acreage high-value crops and orchard crops because of its water conservation benefits.*