On-Farm Water Measurement and Irrigation Efficiency Demonstration Project

Over the last forty years, the producers in Sierra and Dona Ana Counties in New Mexico have shifted their crop mix in response to market conditions and an above average water supply. Cotton and other low water-use crops have been replaced by pecans, alfalfa and other high water-use crops. Since the late 1990s, however, the region has experienced drought conditions, or what some scientists characterized as a return to “normal” conditions. The drought coupled with the shift to high water-use crops has highlighted the need to maximize irrigation efficiency in agricultural production in the region. Few producers are currently using any irrigation efficiency practices. The purpose of this project is to demonstrate, evaluate, and encourage the adoption of innovative irrigation efficiency practices, including soil moisture monitoring.