Food Supply and Water Resources: An Agricultural-Hydrological Perspective

Dear Colleagues,

Owing to the impacts of climate change, the spotlight is on water resources as the basis for agricultural production. Water productivity in plant production and in livestock farming will need to be increased in a changing climate. In this context, it is useful to think of rain as the ultimate source of water for all agroecosystems (Descheemaeker et al., 2013). In this Special Issue, the main focus is on precipitation that is stored as soil moisture and eventually transpired or evaporated. A more productive use of precipitation water implies a reduced need for additional technical water resources in the form of, e.g., irrigation (Ran et al., 2016). To substantially increase the productivity of precipitation water use in agriculture, detailed knowledge about farm management practices and related hydrological processes based on a scientifically sound methodological framework are necessary.

The following three questions should be addressed by the authors of the Special Issue:

Which farm management practices within livestock and plant production have been identified to substantially raise rainwater productivity? Which quantitative water savings were achieved? Which methodological framework was used to assess the water savings?

The aims of the Special Issue include:

• Publishing results on quantitative water savings achieved: results of experimental trials, farmer practices’ monitoring, etc., including traditional farmer practices and/or innovating farmer practices to save water in agriculture;
• Publishing results on methodological frameworks used to assess the water savings achievable with farm management practices;
• Water savings considered at the application (plot/field/farm) level;
• Inclusion of an assessment of uncertainty, which is mandatory for each study.

Descheemaeker, K.; Bunting, S.W.; Bindraban, P.; Muthuri, C.; Molden, D.; Beveridge, M.; van Brakel, M.; Herrero, M.; Clement, F.; Boelee, E.; et al. Increasing Water Productivity in Agriculture; In Managing Water and Agroecosystems for Food Security, E. Boelee, ed.; CABI: Wallingford, UK, 2013; pp. 104–123.

Ran, Y.; Lannerstad, M.; Herrero, M.; Van Middelaar, C.E.; De Boer, I.J.M. Assessing water resource use in livestock production: a review of methods. Livestock Sci. 2016, 187, 68–79.

Dr. Katrin Drastig
Guest Editor

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• farm management practices
• rainwater productivity
• plant production
• livestock farming
• precipitation water
• case studies