Impacts of climate and weather on irrigation technology adoption and agricultural water use in the U.S. pacific northwest

Jian Shi, JunJie Wu and Beau Olen

Agricultural Economics, 2022, vol. 53, issue 3, 387-406

Abstract: In this article, we model long‐run responses to climate expectations that are predetermined before the growing season and short‐run responses to weather realizations during the growing season. The model is applied to a climatically diverse region, the U.S. Pacific Northwest, and the most comprehensive dataset on irrigation in the United States to estimate the impact of extreme weather on irrigation technology adoption and agricultural water use. Impacts on agricultural water use were driven more by adjustments to irrigated acreage (extensive margin effects) than by adjustments to the water application rate (intensive margin effects). The model captures the two mechanisms for irrigation to mitigate freeze damage to crops: wetting the soil (heat retention) and over‐head sprinkler irrigation (latent heat). Realized late spring freeze caused water use for orchard/vineyard to increase by 3%, but this represents less than a 1% increase in total agricultural water use. Expected spring freeze variability encouraged adoption of sprinkler irrigation technology for some crops.

Date: 2022
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