Evaluating the potential of supplemental irrigation to increase agricultural and water productivity in India with climate change

Agriculture demands more water than any other process in the world and is related to 90% of water use in India. India irrigates nearly half of all its cultivated land, while groundwater resources are being depleted at a rate that is threatening the endurance of India’s agricultural economy. The interplay between food security, water resources, energy, and livelihoods necessitates evaluating and integrating initiatives that increase agricultural production while reducing demands on water resources. Supplemental irrigation is the practise of minimally irrigating in an effort to increase water productivity – the amount of crop produced per unit of water. Our investigation will evaluate the potential for supplemental irrigation to increase both crop production and water security in the Mehsana region of Gujarat where the depletion of groundwater is particularly acute. Our results will provide a range of increases in productivity relating to different supplemental irrigation adoption scenarios under both present and future periods using different climate projections.

Faculty Supervisor:

Jan Adamowski

Student:

Mikhail Smilovic

Partner:

Discipline:

Engineering

Sector:

University:

McGill University

Program:

Globalink Research Award