Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity

This paper investigates the impacts of farm ponds in a context of declining supplies in a major canal command within the Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS), in Central China. As dam supplies have been diverted to higher-valued uses (hydropower, cities and industry), farmers have responded by constructi...

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Autores principales: Roost Nicolas, Xueliang Cai, Turral, Hugh, David, S., Yuanlai Cui
Formato: Journal Article
Lenguaje:Inglés
Publicado: 2008
Materias:
Acceso en línea:https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40772
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author Roost Nicolas
Xueliang Cai
Turral, Hugh
David, S.
Yuanlai Cui
author_browse David, S.
Roost Nicolas
Turral, Hugh
Xueliang Cai
Yuanlai Cui
author_facet Roost Nicolas
Xueliang Cai
Turral, Hugh
David, S.
Yuanlai Cui
author_sort Roost Nicolas
collection Repository of Agricultural Research Outputs (CGSpace)
description This paper investigates the impacts of farm ponds in a context of declining supplies in a major canal command within the Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS), in Central China. As dam supplies have been diverted to higher-valued uses (hydropower, cities and industry), farmers have responded by constructing small storages within their fields. These farm ponds have given them sufficient flexibility in water supply to practice varying forms of alternate wetting and drying irrigation for rice without compromising yields and incomes. Ponds are recharged by a combination of return flows from irrigation and runoff from catchment areas within the irrigated perimeter. Various scenarios of water supply incorporating the main reservoir, in-system reservoirs, farm ponds and irrigation practices were simulated using the OASIS model. OASIS integrates surface and groundwater flows, and contains a crop growth module to aggregate the impacts of different water management regimes. The modelling and sensitivity analysis show that further reductions in main reservoir supplies will have a negative effect on rice production in dry and average years, and that ponds have played a crucial role in adapting agriculture to reduced canal supplies. The flexibility allowed by the ponds has resulted in increased water productivity, except in high rainfall years, but net depletion has not decreased, as local supplies have substituted for water from the main reservoir. The study demonstrates the importance of properly accounting for return flows and the necessity to understand crop production in relation to the actual depletion of water (as evapotranspiration) within an irrigation system.
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spelling CGSpace407722023-06-13T06:07:50Z Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity Roost Nicolas Xueliang Cai Turral, Hugh David, S. Yuanlai Cui farm ponds irrigation systems reservoirs water balance simulation models rice crop production irrigation canals groundwater drainage evapotranspiration water distribution This paper investigates the impacts of farm ponds in a context of declining supplies in a major canal command within the Zhanghe Irrigation System (ZIS), in Central China. As dam supplies have been diverted to higher-valued uses (hydropower, cities and industry), farmers have responded by constructing small storages within their fields. These farm ponds have given them sufficient flexibility in water supply to practice varying forms of alternate wetting and drying irrigation for rice without compromising yields and incomes. Ponds are recharged by a combination of return flows from irrigation and runoff from catchment areas within the irrigated perimeter. Various scenarios of water supply incorporating the main reservoir, in-system reservoirs, farm ponds and irrigation practices were simulated using the OASIS model. OASIS integrates surface and groundwater flows, and contains a crop growth module to aggregate the impacts of different water management regimes. The modelling and sensitivity analysis show that further reductions in main reservoir supplies will have a negative effect on rice production in dry and average years, and that ponds have played a crucial role in adapting agriculture to reduced canal supplies. The flexibility allowed by the ponds has resulted in increased water productivity, except in high rainfall years, but net depletion has not decreased, as local supplies have substituted for water from the main reservoir. The study demonstrates the importance of properly accounting for return flows and the necessity to understand crop production in relation to the actual depletion of water (as evapotranspiration) within an irrigation system. 2008 2014-06-13T14:48:24Z 2014-06-13T14:48:24Z Journal Article https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40772 en Limited Access Roost Nicolas; Cai, Xueliang; Turral, Hugh; Molden, David; Cui, Y. L. 2008. Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II ? Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity. Agricultural Water Management, 95(6): 685-697.
spellingShingle farm ponds
irrigation systems
reservoirs
water balance
simulation models
rice
crop production
irrigation canals
groundwater
drainage
evapotranspiration
water distribution
Roost Nicolas
Xueliang Cai
Turral, Hugh
David, S.
Yuanlai Cui
Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity
title Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity
title_full Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity
title_fullStr Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity
title_full_unstemmed Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity
title_short Adapting to intersectoral transfers in the Zhanghe Irrigation System, China: Part II - Impacts of in-system storage on water balance and productivity
title_sort adapting to intersectoral transfers in the zhanghe irrigation system china part ii impacts of in system storage on water balance and productivity
topic farm ponds
irrigation systems
reservoirs
water balance
simulation models
rice
crop production
irrigation canals
groundwater
drainage
evapotranspiration
water distribution
url https://hdl.handle.net/10568/40772
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