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Many Ohio farmers are using irrigation techniques that effectively make use of water resources, according to a recent OFBF survey.

More than 60 percent of respondents said their production practices incorporate drip, trickle or low-flow micro sprinkler systems, which efficiently apply water. Larry Antosch, OFBF director of environmental research, said the finding is significant because states in the Great Lakes region are taking a closer look at how water resources are managed.

Late last year, the Council of Great Lakes Governors agreed on a plan that bans new diversions of water from the Great Lakes basin and requires states to develop water conservation and efficiency goals and objectives. States will begin to evaluate each water-use sector, including agriculture.

"Statewide, we just didn't have a lot of specific information on irrigation – what types of crops are irrigated, what types of irrigation systems are in use, where farmers are getting the water from," Antosch said.

Funded by a grant from the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, OFBF sent the survey to farmers throughout the state with an emphasis on nurseries and fruit and vegetable growers. A total of 2,200 surveys were mailed with a 21 percent response rate.

Antosch noted that most respondents use subjective techniques to determine when to irrigate such as visual crop evaluations or feeling the soil. He said the adoption of improved irrigation technology could help farmers better measure crop water needs.

"I think there are some tools out there that can help irrigators in Ohio be more efficient and more effective in their water management," he said.

While Antosch doesn't expect constraints to be placed on water used for irrigation yet, he said guidelines and management practices to maximize water conservation and efficiency could be standardized in the future. However, he pointed out farmers generally appear to be doing a good job with irrigation water management.

Other results of the survey include:

• 58 percent of respondents indicated they irrigated at least some crops that they produce.

• Plots 10 acres or less comprise the majority of the irrigated production areas.

• High value crops are most often irrigated. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they used irrigation to produce horticultural crops while approximately 40 percent said they irrigated fruit vegetable and fruit crops.

• The primary reason for Ohio growers to use irrigation is to enhance crop production. Other reasons include seed germination, frost protection and chemigation.

• Less than 10 percent of growers use scientific scheduling and advanced, information intensive methods to determine when to irrigate.

Caption: OFBF's survey showed that while many farmers are effectively using irrigation water, the adoption of new technology could better measure crop water needs.