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Water withdrawals for irrigation at an unsustainable rate resulted in a decline in the groundwater levels in the Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) in the central southern USA. This drawdown of groundwater threatens agricultural production in the Mississippi Delta, an important agricultural region in the state of Mississippi, USA. Effective and efficient use of available resources is important to sustain and enhance agricultural productivity in this area. This study assessed the opinions of farmers on water conservation management practices and technologies that improve irrigation management and save water in the Mississippi Delta region based on data collected in an irrigation survey conducted in 2012. Most landowners believed that water conservation practices were effective in reducing irrigation water use without reducing maximum crop yields and have a positive return on investment. Land forming, tailwater recovery system, on‐farm storage, instream weirs to pond surface water, computerized hole selection for furrow irrigation, short irrigation runs, and irrigation scheduling were considered efficient water conservation technologies by landowners. Perceptions about use of different practices also depend upon the crops produced by the respondents. About 20 to 24% and 14.9 to 86% of survey respondents thought that on‐farm storage and center pivot, respectively, were inefficient water conservation practices for irrigating crops in the Mississippi Delta. The adoption of these practices may be increased if the landowners know the economic returns of implementing them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) is being depleted, and practices that improve water stewardship have been developed to reduce drawdown. This study assesses how Mississippi Delta producers changed their perceptions of these practices over time. The analysis employs data from two surveys carried-out in 2012 and 2014 of all Mississippi permittees who held an agricultural well permit drawing from the MRVAA. Focusing on water-saving practices, this study found that producer perception of the usability of flowmeters improved over time. About 80% and 90% more producers growing corn and soybeans, respectively, felt that computerized hole selection was highly efficient. In 2014, 38% of corn and 35% of soybean producers believed that shortened furrow length was a highly efficient practice—up from 21% in corn and 24% in soybean producers in 2012. Approval of irrigation automation, moisture probes, and other irrigation technology rose from 75% of producers in 2012 to 88% by 2014. Favorability toward water-saving practices increased overall between the survey years.

The Mississippi River Valley Alluvial Aquifer (MRVAA) is being depleted, and practices that improve water stewardship have been developed to reduce drawdown. This study assesses how Mississippi Delta producers changed their perceptions of these practices over time. The analysis employs data from two surveys carried-out in 2012 and 2014 of all Mississippi permittees who held an agricultural well permit drawing from the MRVAA. Focusing on water-saving practices, this study found that producer perception of the usability of flowmeters improved over time. About 80% and 90% more producers growing corn and soybeans, respectively, felt that computerized hole selection was highly efficient. In 2014, 38% of corn and 35% of soybean producers believed that shortened furrow length was a highly efficient practice—up from 21% in corn and 24% in soybean producers in 2012. Approval of irrigation automation, moisture probes, and other irrigation technology rose from 75% of producers in 2012 to 88% by 2014. Favorability toward water-saving practices increased overall between the survey years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]