The benefits of saving water in the cotton industry

The benefits of using water more efficiently in cotton farming include:

• Maintaining or increasing productivity despite the limited availability of water;
• Increase productivity by maintaining optimum soil moisture content for the crop;
• Prevent deep drainage (that results from over-watering), which can exacerbate salinity problems and nutrient pollution of ground and surface waters;
• Saving money through reduced water costs and more effective use of fertilisers – nutrient loss to ground and surface waters is one of the major causes of pollution;
• If pumps are being used - lower energy requirements for pumping will lead to lower running and maintenance costs;
• Improving the sustainability of the farm; and
• Decreases demand on local water supply – increasing the amount available for environmental flows leading to better stream health.

Efficient use of water will help overcome a constraint to the growth of the cotton industry in Australia – the limited availability of irrigation water.