How can water be used wisely in agriculture?

Answer 1

There are several water-conserving methods that can be implemented in agriculture in order to reduce the amount of water used, and use it more wisely. One of the easiest things farmers can do is utilize drip-irrigation. Drip-irrigation is a process by which water is slowly dripped instead of sprayed or sprinkled. It can be applied either onto the soil surface, or the roots of the plant itself. This cuts back on the wastefulness of sprinkler systems. Farmers can also rely on genetically-modified plants in order to cut back on water use. Because of the rapidly increasing biotech field, there are also major advances in plant genetic engineering. There are already strains of plants that require less water and are drought-resistant. Since pesticides and herbicides usually require a water-delivery system to be applied, by switching to organic farming, water can be used more wisely in agriculture. Instead of using liquid chemical sprays, farmers can rely on integrated pest management (using pest eaters like ladybugs to exterminate pests).