Water Conservation Projects in agriculture in China

Water Conservation Projects in China

Introduction

Increasing water usage demands in China, as a result of a growing industry and a growing population, particularly urban populations, together with severe droughts and reduced snow melt has been placing strains on groundwater and surface water resources (European Science Parliament, 2010). Water in China is scarce, and unevenly distributed, so there is regional management to allocate water where needed. Any aims to cut water use will affect such allocations and in some areas farmers buy water in times of need – which is pricey and can have peak demand issues. High amounts of runoff from irrigation have associated problems such as salinisation due to mobilising soil bound salt and contamination of resources from chemical runoff due to the high amount of chemical fertilisers used. Recent news has suggested that already 21% of fresh water in China is unsuitable for use in agriculture due to pollution (Guardian Sustainable Business, 2010). In 2004 agriculture in China used a massive 3585.7 million m3 of water (China Statistic Census, 2006) – that’s 65% of all water used and approximately 90% of this agricultural use is used for irrigation. Water shortages and predicted crises have prompted the Water Resources Ministry to promote the conservation of water, affecting agriculture by way of plans for increased irrigation efficiency and increased recycling of wastewater in agriculture, and reducing water consumption in industry, which would allow for more availability in agriculture (The Ministry of Water Resources, 2010).

Rice in China is the main staple food of a population of over 1.3billion (World Bank, 2010). Depending on soil, rice variety and climate conditions it is estimated that one kilo of rice uses between 1500 and 5000 litres of water (ACIAR, 2010), as rice is grown with a continuous flooding technique. 96% of the rice produced annually comes from irrigated systems (ACIAR, 2010), so with water availability declining and demand for food increasing, efforts need to be made to increase the efficiency of water use in rice-based agriculture. Crops at risk from declining water resources are rice, wheat, corn and cotton (Lohmar et al, 2003).

Traditional sustainable farming techniques – Rain-fed agriculture

These practices of agriculture make use of the availability of rain, reducing the need for irrigation and piped water, and the ability of the soil to retain the moisture. Farmers which make use of these practices benefit from a clean and free source of water for their crops but also put themselves at the mercy of the elements.

Terracing is an ancient technique in Chinese agriculture which increases rainfall infiltration and reduces erosion. Li et al (1994) as cited in Lü et al (2009) found that conversion of 5-10˚ slopes to narrow terraces resulted in soil moisture increases of 20.7% along with reduced soil and nutrient losses. Maintaining traditional rice terraces has benefits in terms of water conservation but also in soil conservation and provision of habitats for biodiversity.

Conservation tillage is a method whereby the soil is minimally cultivated and so leaves previous crops soil residue which slows water movement and reduces soil erosion. This method also reduces the use of fuel input but also has the affect of delaying the time frame for the planting of the spring crop due to a reduction in exposure of dark soil to the sun. It is suggested that this form of cultivation requires more herbicides in order to reduce weeds and get rid of the last crop so its sustainability is an issue here.

ACIAR (2010) undertook a project which looked at permanent raised beds and conservation tillage in an effort to reduce irrigation water use while also maintaining farm yields and increasing farmer income, in application to wheat and maize. The conservation tillage planters showed water savings of 43% while also minimizing soil salinity build up but the tested planters did not create suitable soil conditions so adjustments are planned to be explored in future. Permanent raised beds (PRB) which are beds raised above the ground for crop planting were found to have an average water saving of 28.13% in wheat and maize, and although PRB maize produced a loss (in net gain) overall between wheat and maize a profit was made to farmers taking into account the reductions in water, fuel, labour use and machinery costs (ACIAR, 2010).

Sustainable farming practices need to tackle the need to find a balance between an increasing need for productivity with preservation and protection of environmental resources. Sustainable farming practices are being promoted in China in rural areas where farms are small (average .28hectares) and people are poor (2/3 national average household income) where non-sustainable farming has put farms under threat of soil and water loss (NL EVD International, 2009). These practices are being promoted and funded by corporations such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB, 2009) and Walmart (Walmart China, 2010).

The benefits of these methods of sustainable agriculture for farmers is that they do not require a huge investment in terms of machinery, technology or fuel which is not often available to farmers unless they are fortunate to have input from such huge corporations. In contrast a small input of training and common sense can make this way of farming a reality, knowledge which can easily be shared among communities. Farmers who are reverting to rainfed agriculture may need to take a short fall in the first year or two, but in the long term savings can be made in water use and quality, soil quality and crop quality. This all means a more sustainable future for the farmers, their farms and hence their families which also can work towards benefits for the community. In the case of Walmart above one of their aims is in order to give organic certifications to farms, which could signify farming contracts for communities with the corporation bringing money into the community. However a instant shortfall may put farmers off the idea, along with the change, so this input of training and knowledge is important.

The environment benefits from the natural use of its water systems with a reduction in run-off, which also reduces pollution, aids flood control and maintains healthier soil. Soil is preserved when more sustainably managed and reductions can be made in the use of fossil fuels.

Water Saving Irrigation (WSI) Techniques

Water Saving Irrigation is techniques of water conservation in agriculture which are being promoted by the Chinese government. Scientists from the International Water Management Institute and the International Rice Research Institute (IRRI) are working together to find ways to produce more rice with less water and as such China has ...

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Water Saving Irrigation (WSI) Techniques

About 140 billion m3 of water is lost each year, in China, in the pipe systems (Zhao et al, 2008). Huge investment in infrastructure would mean easy water savings. Better channel lining in places such as the Hexi Corridor has meant reduced delivery losses (ACIAR, 2010). Projects such as these require funds from authorities and are of benefit to farmers as they have no input but benefit from an increase in available water.

Changes to irrigation techniques have been developed and information about these techniques have been trained in and tested on. Shallow-wet irrigation for paddy fields encourages less water use. Furrow or border irrigation creates small channels parallel to each other along the length of the field in the direction of the slope. In dry farmland this can improve the usage of field water. Sprinkling and micro (drip) irrigation refer to low pressure systems which spray or sprinkle water through small devices to near the plant or below the soil to the plant root. These methods improve the delivery of the water, improve its usage and reduce evapotranspiration. These changing methods of irrigation have allowed for farmers to reduce the water consumption in agriculture while sustaining an equal agricultural yield. Micro irrigation requires an input of capital to fund the irrigation systems, but if a saving in water purchases is to be made this may be a wise choice.

Alternating wetting and drying (AWD) of fields is a method controlled irrigation means farmers allow the water in the rice (paddy) field to drop to 15cm below soil surface, before further irrigation in order to reduce percolation and seepage (IRRI, 2009). This method promoted by the IRRI and the Irrigated Rice Research Consortium (IRRC) is used as an alternative to the traditional method of continuous flooding. For this method to be successful a 15cm or so diameter tube needs to be inserted into the ground so the drop in water level below the soil surface is visible, meaning this method does not require much monetary input except the tubing and the knowledge.

A professor in Ningxia University is working on reducing waste of water in agriculture by focusing on the use of plastic mulch along with drip irrigation in order to suppress weed growth, maximise fertilizer effectiveness and conserve water which can possibly reduce water use by 50% (Asia Times Online, 2011). Currently plastic mulch requires a financial input from farmers for the mulch itself and for machinery to lay the mulch in a field but it has not been tested whether this is cost effective in the long run.

Some of the WSI methods mentioned can be tied in with sustainable agriculture and as such require and input of training and knowledge for an output of more long term benefits, such as a healthier soil and water system. All of the methods above signify water conservation techniques, so this would represent a saving for farmers and improve the situation for the people of the community and also they do not signify any loss to crop yield which is very important. However some of the techniques outlined above may involve investment in new irrigation systems which may be costly and unavailable to some farmers without investment by outside corporations or institutions. The benefit to the environment is water conservation, reduced runoff and soil preservation as a result.

ACIAR

The Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research (ACIAR) is an Australian Governmental Office that funds research projects for Australian scientists to use their skills for the benefit of developing countries (ACIAR, 2010). ACIAR has worked in China on projects focusing on increasing farmers’ incomes and the better management of land and water resources. Many of ACIAR projects have been covered under WSI and relate to rice, but two more important projects are outlined below.

FILTER Technology
An estimated 4 million hectares of agricultural land in China is irrigated with wastewater which untreated can pose serious health risks (ACIAR, 2010). The Australian Filtration and Irrigated cropping for Land Treatment and Effluent Reuse (FILTER) is a system which controls the flow of wastewater for irrigation by regulated pumping and filtration through the soil to a drainage system underneath. In times of low cropping or high rainfall this works to reduce untreated waste to drainage treated for EPA standard re-use or discharge. This eliminates the need for wastewater storage by providing treatment through the year. The FILTER system has been shown to discharge drainage water with a reduction in pollutants to a reasonable level aiding better standards of environmental health and less polluted waterways. Farmers benefit by increased yields, which offset its construction and reduced health risks (ACIAR, 2010). This is a bonus in terms of long term investment by farmers and for the environment means appropriate treatment of wastewater preventing contamination from entering the water system and water conservation.
Integrated crop-livestock systems
This is a research project which aims to maximise farmers land and water use by optimising the mix of crops and livestock depending on water availability and market opportunities (ACIAR, 2010). This includes investigating wheat as a dual purpose crop, identifying efficient feeding livestock and market trends. The purpose of this is to make information available to farmers to result in increases in income from exploiting markets but also from growing more efficient food and livestock in terms of land and water use.

The China Bridge Project

This is a UK-China science bridge project which aims to address food and agricultural issues which was launched in 2009 (LEC, 2009). Two of the projects innovative areas are concerned with maximising agricultural yields under drought and increasing water efficiency in irrigation. In order to maximise agricultural yields under drought the project is investigating the plant science of the root system architecture. Here they have identified the ANR1 gene, which is control of root development, and are investigating its potential to create new crop varieties which have improved water and nutrient use efficiency and investigations into ethylene sensitivity in plant roots to investigate drought resistance (LEC, 2009). The irrigation project area is testing soil moisture sensors which can switch irrigation on or off dependent on the soil water content and needs of the plant, and are investigating into thermal sensing as an indicator of plant water stress all so water wastage can be minimised in irrigation (LEC, 2009).

Under the China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower is the Department of Irrigation and Drainage (National Centre for Efficient Irrigation Engineering and Technology Research – Beijing) who are concerned with the development of agricultural water saving irrigation and other areas of rural water resource issues (Department of Irrigation and Drainage, 2011) and are part of the China Bridge project mentioned above.

World Bank Loan Funded Turpan Water Conservation Project In Xinjiang, China (The World Bank, 2010)

This project comprises of immense funding and management from the World Bank whose objectives are to reduce flooding risk and groundwater over-extraction by controlling government policies and regulatory and institutional frameworks and promoting sustainable practices. Part of this project is “water savings in irrigated agriculture” which appears to involve pipeline and drip irrigation facilities which in turn reduces non beneficial evapotranspiration with possible water savings of 71 m3 per year (The World Bank, 2010). Because this project is in conjunction with other water saving projects such as the construction of a reservoir upstream there are some proposed impacts on environment such as disturbance to fish and habitats down stream, however only good impacts proposed on the livelihood of farmers.

Plant Science

Crop modification is also a big business for many biotech companies, who are putting a lot of effort into creating more drought resistant plants and plants which have a tolerance to salt. Bioscience companies such as Montana and Arcadia are involved in plant breeding and genetic engineering in order to create plants which are drought resistant, salt tolerant and more efficient in other ways such as nitrogen use. Companies such as these would need to run safety trials before the crops could be sold to farmers but Arcadia has predicted China as being the first consumers (Check Biotech, 2010). Crops under investigation for these qualities include grain crops such as wheat and barley and others including tomatoes, eggplant, cotton and squash. China has developed a drought resistant grass which although is only being tipped for use in urban areas (The India Daily, 2010), may mean grass in the future being suitable for livestock which is efficient in water use.

Seawater is currently being successful used in irrigation of some crops which have been genetically modified to survive in a salt saturated environment. These crops include tomato, eggplant, and hot pepper and it means the crops can be grown in drier coastal areas or in salinated soil.

Policy / Legislation

Different areas in China are managed by different Irrigation Systems, which means many different policies. In some systems farmers pay a flat rate for water, so are less likely to wish to participate in WSI. In others they are charged for the volume used, so farmers are more likely to attempt water saving techniques and storage systems. In the Huibei Provence, for example, a change to policy meant instead of water being diverted directly to irrigation systems, farmers would have to organise and pay for the amount needed. This policy prompted many farmers to improve and increase the number of water capture and store ponds on their land, and reduced dependency on the reservoir (ACIAR, 2010).

A change has been made to the 1991 Law on Water and Soil Conservation in recent weeks, which has put greater onus on individual government authorities such as forestry and agriculture to be responsible in working towards conservation and provision for heavy penalties to be put on violators of soil and water conservation law (China Briefing, 2011)

Another policy change is expected to be made in the area of GMO products this year. Reuters (2010) has reported Ministry of Environmental Protection in China is preparing a new law concerning GMO food safety which will hopefully make it harder for the sale of GMO foods which have not had the correct standard of safety testing.

Policy when applied in an appropriate manner which considers both farmers and the environment can be very beneficial and an effective way of protecting all parties. Many government policies may be concerned with economic factors, but because of the dire straits China’s water system is in it appears to be beneficial economically, socially and environmentally to protect water resources and promote water conservation which all in can mean a lot of good things for the environment and the farmers.

Management

Correct management of the agricultural systems can also improve water efficiency. One method is to manage which crops are grown where, so that the growth of crops which consume a lot of water are limited in areas of water shortages. Another is to encourage farmers to grow crops which consume less water, which give high value for less water input (Yuping, 2001). It is also possible to manage water use in a better way so that the seasons are taken advantage of and deep ground water is exploited only in times of desperate need. Crop and water use management can be effectively implemented with the help of training and information sharing.

The benefits of good management is its is the most effective way of making use of what is available, so time, energy and money is not wasted. This means benefits for farmers and for the environment in terms of these savings.

Conclusion

Above has been a summary of the many ongoing projects and methods of water conservation which are currently occurring in agriculture, which show many benefits to farmers and the environment. These benefits for farmers are mainly in monetary savings and increases in water availability, but there can be savings in health terms if herbicide use and runoff can be cut down. For the environment the basic benefit is in terms of increases in water availability. If more water is available, firstly it would mean less or no shortages or droughts, which maintains soil quality, maintains drinking water availability for humans use and wildlife use and replenishes groundwater and storage water.

Savings in water use has benefits to the environment if it means there is more availability for all other life and the quality of water eco-systems improve. In China the reduction in water use is driven by higher demand versus less availability, so concern is mostly due to economic factors. China is a developing country so any saving in water use in agriculture will be used up in another industry and in fact it is reductions in water allocations that are prompting farmers to explore alternative methods. However agriculture in China has a high use of chemical fertilisers and pesticides so a reduction in water use may aid a reduction in chemical runoff into the water system. Any water not used is water that does not need to be treated so energy savings can be made in water treatment. Although to improve this situation a review of chemical use in agriculture would be required. The water saving techniques need also to be balanced with other environmental concerns for there to be any benefit, such as soil quality and fuel use.

However changes in farming practices such as ways which reduce water flow and channel usage may have an unknown affect on the groundwater table and to river flow. So to understand the real benefits or threats to water systems modelling and mapping needs to be used and has been used in some areas. This can help determine the levels of ground and surface water availability and recharge, but only using huge amounts of data gathered by ongoing monitoring, studying and research. So it is essential for this side of water conservation to be taken into account.

Another possible impact is to the environment concerning pesticide use. This could be due to an increase in farming or land given over to farming due to increased water availability, which may in turn mean more farmers using pesticides which have a negative impact on the environment.

References

European Science Parliament (2010) Water crisis in China, http://www.science-parliament.eu/forums/2010-water-science-politics/1160/water-crisis-in-china, Date Assessed 23/11/2010

Guardian Sustainable Business (2010) China faces tough choices on water, http://www.guardian.co.uk/sustainable-business/china-water-choices, Date Assessed 22/12/2010

China Statistic Census (2006) Water use and water supply, http://www.allcountries.org/china_statistics/12_3_water_supply_and_water_use.html, Date Accessed 23/11/2010

The Ministry of Water Resources (2010) The Peoples Republic of China, http://www.mwr.gov.cn/english/cpws.html, Date Assessed 23/11/2010

World Bank (2010) World Development Indicators cited by Google (2010) Population of China, http://www.google.co.uk/#hl=en&source=hp&biw=1436&bih=715&q=population+of+china&aq=f&aqi=g10&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai=&fp=f1f3f29e80c842e4, Date Assessed 23/11/2010

ACIAR (2010) Growing more rice with less water, http://www.aciar.gov.au/node/705, Date Assessed 23/11/2010

ACIAR (2010) Impact of water saving irrigation techniques in China, , Date Assessed 23/11/2010

Lohmar et al (2003) China's Agricultural Water Policy Reforms: Increasing Investment, Resolving Conflicts, and Revising Incentives, http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aib782/aib782.pdf, Date Assessed 22/12/2010

Lü et al (2009) Comparison of measured and simulated water storage in dryland terraces of the Loess Plateau, China, Agricultural Water Management (on-line), 96: 299-306, http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=MImg&_imagekey=B6T3X-4TMRK1V-1-H&_cdi=4958&_user=128558&_pii=S0378377408002011&_origin=search&_coverDate=02%2F28%2F2009&_sk=999039997&view=c&wchp=dGLzVtz-zSkWA&md5=6f31158b6febd7d9ffff755fd57a4339&ie=/sdarticle.pdf, Accessed 26/11/2010

ACIAR (2010) Promotion of conservation agriculture using permanent raised beds in irrigated cropping in the Hexi Corridor , Gansu, China, , Accessed 08/01/2011

NL EVD International (2009) Dryland Sustainable Agricultural Project, http://www.evd.nl/zoeken/showbouwsteen.asp?bstnum=204688&location=, Accessed 22/12/2010

ADB (2009) Dryland Sustainable Agricultural Project, , Accessed 08/01/2011

Walmart China (2010) Direct Farm Program, , Accessed 08/01/2010

ACIAR (2010) Growing more rice with less water, http://www.aciar.gov.au/node/705, Date Assessed 23/11/2010

J. Zhao et al (2008) Opportunities and challenges of sustainable agricultural development in China, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society Biological Sciences (on-line), v363(1492): 893-904, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2610116/, Accessed 26/11/2010

ACIAR (2010) Promotion of conservation agriculture using permanent raised beds in irrigated cropping in the Hexi Corridor , Gansu, China, , Accessed 08/01/2011

Asia Times Online (2011) Thirsty China Turns to Sea, , 12/01/2011

IRRI (2009) Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) – using less water to grow rice, !, Accessed 08/01/2011

ACIAR (2010) About us, , Accessed 08/01/2011

ACIAR (2010) New technology for productive and sustainable reuse of wastewater for irrigated cropping, http://www.aciar.gov.au/project/LWR1/1996/190, Date Accessed 14/12/2010

ACIAR (2010) Improving farmer livelihood through efficient use of resources in crop-livestock farming systems in western China, , Date Accessed 08/01/2011

LEC (2009) The China Bridge Project, , Date Accessed 04/01/2011

LEC (2009) Plant improvement to increase nutrient use efficient and maximise yields under drought, , Date Accessed 04/01/2011

LEC (2009) Novel irrigation techniques to increase Water Use Efficiency in agriculture, , Date Accessed 04/01/2011

Department of Irrigation and Drainage (2011) National Centre for Efficient Irrigation Engineering and, , Accessed 04/01/2011

The World Bank (2010) World Bank Loan Funded Turpan Water Conservation Project In Xinjiang, China, , Access 12/01/2011

Check Biotech (2010) Modified grain crop could help farmers, , Accessed 12/01/2011

The India Daily (2010) China develops drought-resistant grass seeds, , Accessed 12/01/2011

ACIAR (2010) Growing more rice with less water, http://www.aciar.gov.au/node/705, Date Accessed 14/12/2010

China Briefing (2011) China Revises Law on Water and Soil Conservation, , Date Accessed 11/01/2011

Yuping (2001) Water-Saving Irrigation Practice in China, http://www.icid.org/ws1_2001.pdf, Date Accessed 14/12/2010

Reuters (2010) China mulls GMO food law, grain law ready in 2011, , Accessed 11/01/2011

Water Conservation Projects in agriculture in China

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