Irrigating more U.S. crops by mid-century will be worth the investment

trueCollege of Natural Science,EES,ESPP08/21/2023Irrigating more U.S. crops by mid-century will be worth the investment

In a new study, Michigan State University landscape hydrologist Anthony Kendall and his colleagues found that, by the middle of the 21st century under a moderate greenhouse gas emissions scenario, the benefits of expanded irrigation will outweigh the costs of installation and operation over an extended portion of current U.S. croplands. With climate change projections showing higher temperatures, increased drought conditions, and shifting precipitation patterns, irrigating more crops in the United States will be critical to sustaining future yields. The findings were recently published in Communications Earth & Environment, an open-access journal from Nature Portfolio.

The benefits of irrigation will outweigh the costs in many areas of the United States, especially in the Midwest and Great Plains.
The availability of water will be a limiting factor in some areas, especially in the Southeast.
These findings could help farmers and policymakers make decisions about irrigation in the face of climate change.

Mollie Newman

Changing climate will bring longer growing seasons with more infrequent and extreme rains. Across the country, farmers once reliant on weather alone to provide water for their crops will turn to irrigation to increase yields and profits—and put new stresses on limited water resources.

Across the country, farmers once reliant on weather alone to provide water for their crops will turn to irrigation to increase yields and profits—and put new stresses on limited water resources.

Agricultural SustainabilityEarth and Environmental Sciencesclimate changecrop modelingirrigation