Water Management
Conserving water and enhancing water use efficiency are critical issues for agriculture, both in Kansas and the US. In the Central Plains, the future availability of water is a major concern, affecting both irrigated crop production and drinking water supplies. In recent years, drawdown or depletion of the High Plains/Ogallala aquifer -- which spans 225,000 square miles through portions of Kansas, Nebraska, Oklahoma, Texas, Colorado, South Dakota, Wyoming and New Mexico – has greatly surpassed the rate of natural recharge.
The goal of the Water Management research team is to find ways to enhance water use efficiency at all levels within crop production, and protect future water supplies. For example, the team has been involved in several projects to reduce water usage including irrigation management/scheduling and subsurface drip irrigation.