Advances in Managing Limited Irrigation Water.

The challenge to maintain or increase crop production with limited and declining irrigation water resources requires adoption of appropriate technologies and proficiency in crop water management. This paper addresses factors that affect successful adoption and application of efficient irrigation technologies and BMPs; considerations that affect their suitability to specific operations; and recommendations to maximize benefits realized from their application. Regardless of the specific tools selected, management and maintenance of the irrigation system; applying knowledge of soil-water-plant-atmosphere relationships; and managing total crop water in the context of integrated crop management are essential to optimizing crop water use efficiency.