Irrigation, as a research topic, encompasses the controlled application of water to agricultural or landscaped soils to optimize plant growth, yield, and resource efficiency under variable climatic and hydrological conditions. It includes the study and modeling of water delivery methods (e.g., surface, sprinkler, and drip systems), soil–plant–atmosphere water dynamics, evapotranspiration estimation, and scheduling strategies based on soil moisture, plant stress indicators, or climate data. Research additionally addresses irrigation water quality, salinity management, impacts on groundwater and surface water systems, energy use, and integration with precision agriculture and deficit-irrigation strategies to improve water productivity and sustainability.
More water does not necessarily produce more alfalfa seed. A five-year trial near Keith, South Australia, found that strategically delaying irrigation until plants showed early signs of leaf drop generally increased seed ...
Agriculture
Aug 29, 2026
0
12
From high in the hills around Las Vegas, tourist Choune Osterero gazes down at the line of chalky mineral deposits left on the rocks around Lake Mead as the level of America's largest reservoir has dropped over the last quarter-century ...
Environment
Aug 27, 2026
0
11
In South Africa, it's been legal for several years for people to grow hemp (a type of Cannabis sativa with very low levels of the psychoactive compound THC) for personal use following changes to the law. There's also been ...
Agriculture
Aug 5, 2026
0
5
Groundwater pumped to irrigate cannabis crops in California's Emerald Triangle can cause some streams that normally run year-round to dry up entirely during summer, say researchers from Simon Fraser University, the University ...
Earth Sciences
Aug 4, 2026
0
94
High nitrogen levels entering downstream waterways can harm fragile ecosystems. Across the world, excess nutrients commonly trigger algae blooms and fish kills in enclosed waterways near intensive horticulture.
Biotechnology
Jul 31, 2026
0
30
As temperature and precipitation fluctuations continue to influence crop production worldwide, it is important to understand where crops are most vulnerable to these environmental stressors.
Ecology
Jul 28, 2026
0
74
Rice is the most popular food in the world, providing sustenance to more than 3.5 billion people each day.
Agriculture
Jul 28, 2026
0
10
If the Colorado River Basin is the lifeblood of the American Southwest, keeping the region's agricultural, ecological and economic systems thriving, Colorado's West Slope River basins could be considered the heart. Together, ...
Earth Sciences
Jul 23, 2026
0
27
Scientists at the University of Lincoln have discovered a promising new way to help protect crops from one of climate change's growing threats to global food production—increasing soil salinity.
Cell & Microbiology
Jul 23, 2026
0
38
Factors such as erosion, dehydration and soil compaction are jeopardizing food supplies for broad swaths of the world's population, according to a study by the University of Bonn, the University of Minnesota, the University ...
Agriculture
Jul 22, 2026
1
29
