How can agricultural irrigation practices be altered to decrease loss of fresh water?

What will be an ideal response?


Farmers can use technology to improve efficiency in a number of ways, including lining irrigation canals to prevent leaks and leveling fields to minimize runoff. Furthermore, some methods of applying irrigation water are more efficient than others. We can increase irrigation efficiency by using low-pressure spray irrigation that sprays water downward toward plants and by using drip irrigation systems that target individual plants and introduce water directly onto the soil. Both methods reduce the amount of water lost to evaporation and surface runoff. In addition, choosing crops to match the land and climate in which they are being farmed can save huge amounts of water. Presently, crops that require a great deal of water, such as cotton, rice, and alfalfa, are often planted in hot and arid areas where irrigation is government subsidized. The true cost of water, therefore, is not taken into account as part of the costs of growing the crop. Eliminating subsidies and growing crops in climates that provide adequate rainfall could greatly reduce water use in many parts of the world. In addition, the selective breeding and/or genetic modification of crops is resulting in some varieties that require less water.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

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The lava at Kilauea volcano in Hawaii moves down slope at speeds of 1-10 meters per second; fast for a lava flow. What could account for this?

A) The lava is spewing out of the cone at fast speeds. B) The lava is more thin. C) The lava is very thick. D) The slope is steep.

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What is meant by the debt crisis of the developing world? What is being done to help resolve this crisis?

What will be an ideal response?

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

The nucleus of an electrically neutral iron atom contains 26 protons. How many electrons does this iron atom have?

A. 26 B. 52 C. 24 D. none

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences

What adjective describes fragmental materials, such as ash, explosively erupted from volcanoes?

a. metamorphic b. intrusive c. pyroclastic d. cementation e. sedimentary

Environmental & Atmospheric Sciences