Water Wastage in Agriculture and Measures to Prevent It

Today, the rational use of water resources is a critical requirement. It is well known that nearly 90% of water resources in economic sectors are used for the irrigation of agricultural crops. In such cases, the application of resource-saving technologies in water use is of great importance.

Several factors lead to water wastage: – Irrigation of agricultural fields through surface watering; – Disposing of water into ditches; – Lack of night-time irrigation; – Wasteful use of water without control.

The consequences of water wastage in irrigation systems are as follows: – Decrease in the irrigation capacity of water sources; – Increase in the cross-sectional dimensions of irrigation channels; – Deterioration of hydrogeological conditions of irrigated lands; – Waterlogging and salinization of fields.

To prevent water wastage in agriculture, the following measures can be implemented in irrigation systems. These measures are divided into two categories: Technical and Operational.

1. Technical Measures: – Construction works – covering riverbeds with special coatings: concrete, reinforced concrete, asphalt concrete, plastic film. – Mechanical measures – strengthening riverbeds, periodic cultivation of irrigation channels, and colmatage (artificial deposition of silt). – Chemical measures – salting, clay treatment, oil treatment, bituminization, silicatization, and the use of bentonite clay.

2. Operational Measures: – Planned water usage for irrigation, reducing the length of irrigation networks, alternating irrigation schedules, and repairing irrigation channels.

It is important to remember that providing water according to the specific needs of each crop is crucial for achieving high yields, and that wasting water or assuming that "more water equals more yield" is a mistaken approach. More water does not always result in higher yields.