Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Bushland, Texas » Conservation and Production Research Laboratory » Soil and Water Management Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #345896
Research Project: Precipitation and Irrigation Management to Optimize Profits from Crop Production

Location: Soil and Water Management Research

Title: Sino-US cooperation in water saving technologies: essential international problems

Author
item Evett, Steven - Steve

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 7/16/2017
Publication Date: 7/17/2017
Citation: Evett, S.R. 2017. Sino-US cooperation in water saving technologies: essential international problems [abstract]. ASABE Annual International Meeting. July 16-19, 2017, Spokane, Washington.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The United States and China share many agricultural problems, but one of great importance is the need to produce more crop yield in the face of water scarcity. Common recognition of this problem led to the development of a joint Sino-US Water Saving Technologies Flagship project within the larger USDA – China Ministry of Science and Technology joint science and technology agreement. The project involves USDA ARS and Chinese scientists in collaborative research and exchange of scientific information through annual project meetings alternating between locations in China and the USA. Topics of common interest include variable rate irrigation systems, sensor based irrigation management, remote sensing for irrigation management, use of unmanned aerial vehicles as sensing platforms, water measurement and IT for data transmission and analysis, microirrigation including subsurface drip irrigation, irrigation management to increase crop water productivity (yield per unit of water used), and deficit irrigation management under water scarcity. Cooperation extends to issues such as management of soil salinity and soil water and salinity measurement. In addition to the annual scientific and engineering meeting, scientists and engineers from both countries travel to the other for scientific visits and cooperation. Graduate studies are often pursued by Chinese students in the US as they cooperate with ARS scientists on research projects of mutual interest, including remote sensing, hydrologic and erosion modeling and modeling of crop water use.