Is there an agroecological strategy for farmers that would ensure at least 60% of the normal yield while with a 80% cut on water for crops of peach and cotton?

Thanks, I am working on an essay from class and need help on finding scientific citation for the question…



  1. 0 Votes

    This is a very specific question that likely does not have as specific an answer as you would like. Essentially, what you are asking is how to maximize water efficiency without effecting crop yield. You can break down water loss into two primary categories: 1) evaporation- soil moisture that is on the surface and evaporates in the sun 2) runoff—water that never seeps into the ground, often because it is applied quicker than the plant can absorb it. So to increase the efficiency of water usage you have to minimize these two avenues of water loss. Common methods to achieve this include heavy mulching and drip irrigation.


    Another method that is not as widespread is to essentially make a closed loop system wherein the water is recycled or used for multiple purposes. The classic example of this is varying forms of aquaponics—or the combination of growing plants and fish.  The Chinese have for centuries combined rice culture with fish ponds—wherein the fish fertilize the water that feeds the plants, and the plants filter the water for the fish—and the farmer gets two food sources instead of one. Folks are also experimenting with this with a variety of containers and species. I currently cycle the water from my duck pond into containers where I grow water intensive vegetables such as cucumbers and squash. While I haven’t measured the exact numbers, this method probably is in the ballpark of the stats you mentioned in your question. In fact, the yield is probably higher than if using traditional methods for growing cucumbers in my climate.

    I hope this helps some.

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