The economics of irrigating wheat in a humid climate – A study in the East of England

D. El Chami, J.W. Knox, A. Daccache and E.K. Weatherhead

Agricultural Systems, 2015, vol. 133, issue C, 97-108

Abstract: In the UK, wheat is the most important cultivated cereal, grown extensively as a rainfed crop. Irrigation of wheat has previously been considered uneconomic, but increases in world wheat prices and recent droughts have led to some farmers revising their views. Widespread adoption of wheat irrigation would have major implications for wheat production, the irrigation industry and water resources in regions that are already water scarce. This study investigated the financial viability of irrigating winter wheat grown on a sandy loam soil in the East of England. Long-term climate data (1961–2011) for Silsoe (Bedfordshire) was used to drive a biophysical crop model to assess irrigation water requirements and yield response. Modelling assumed a typical irrigation schedule to maximise yield and quality, and average reported wheat prices for 2007 to 2012. Irrigation costs were calculated assuming an overhead mobile hosereel–raingun system applying river water, abstracted either in summer and used directly, or abstracted in winter and stored in an on-farm reservoir.

Keywords: AquaCrop; Arable agriculture; Cost–benefit; Farm reservoir; Water resources (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2015
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Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:eee:agisys:v:133:y:2015:i:c:p:97-108

DOI: 10.1016/j.agsy.2014.11.001

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