Forming the future of agrohydrology research

Authors: SMIDT, S. - University Of Florida; HAAKER, E. - University Of Nebraska; BAI, X. - University Of Florida; CHERKAUER, K. - Purdue University; CHOAT, B. - Colorado State University; Crompton, Octavia; DEINES, J. - Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; GROH, J. - University Of Bonn; GUZMAN, S. - University Of Florida; HARTMAN, K. - University Of California Berkeley; KENALL, A - Michigan State University; KHAN, S. - University Of California (UCLA); Kustas, William - Bill; MCGILL, BONNIE - American Farmland Trust; NOCCO, MALLIKA - University Of California, Davis; PENSKY, JENNY - University Of California Santa Cruz; RAPP, JEREMY - Michigan State University; Schreiner-Mcgraw, Adam; SIMMONS, TRAVIS - Collaborator; SPRENGER, MATTHIAS - Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; WAN, LUWEN - Michigan State University; WELDEGEBRIEL, LIYA - Stanford University; ZIPPER, SAM - University Of Kansas; ZOCCATELLI, DAVIDE - Luxembourg Institute Of Science & Technology

Submitted to: Earth's Future
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/8/2023
Publication Date: 12/7/2023
Citation: Smidt, S., Haaker, E., Bai, X., Cherkauer, K., Choat, B., Crompton, O.V., Deines, J., Groh, J., Guzman, S., Hartman, K., Kenall, A., Khan, S., Kustas, W.P., McGill, B.M., Nocco, M.A., Pensky, J., Rapp, J., Schreiner-McGraw, A.P., Simmons, T., Sprenger, M., Wan, L., Weldegebriel, L., Zipper, S., Zoccatelli, D. 2023. Forming the future of agrohydrology research. Earth's Future. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003410.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2022EF003410

Interpretive Summary: Agricultural water management is increasingly tasked with the dual challenges of meeting growing commodity demand and sustainable stewardship of environmental resources. The informal research discipline of agrohydrology has developed to address these challenges, taking advantage of rapidly evolving research tools and data availability. Despite increasing interest in agrohydrology as a research topic, a gap remains in formalizing this valuable discipline. In June 2022, 18 agrohydrology researchers spanning academic, government, and non-government sectors, gathered at the AGU Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to give form to the future of agrohydrology. This commentary shares a summary of key research themes and future objectives in agrohydrology, to help guide and direct the trajectories for a formalized discipline of agrohydrology.

Technical Abstract: Agricultural water management is increasingly prioritized throughout the world as producers are tasked with meeting growing crop demand while also managing environmental resources more sustainably. In response to this societal need, the informal research discipline of agrohydrology continues to grow, fueled by a new era of rapidly evolving research tools and big data availability. While many researchers are actively invested in agrohydrology as a research topic, there remains a gap in formalizing this valuable discipline. In June 2022, 18 agrohydrology researchers spanning academic, government, and non-government sectors gathered at the AGU Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to give form to the future of agrohydrology research. Participants were directed to: (1) identify key research themes in agrohydrology, (2) conceptualize future research topics within each theme, and (3) estimate how many years in the future before the topic becomes pressing (i.e., relevant; timely). Results and outcomes from this session are summarized and shared in this commentary to help guide and direct the trajectories for a formalized discipline of agrohydrology, the practice of agricultural water management, and the conversation of the invested public.