Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Financial feasibility of implementing regulated and sustained deficit irrigation in almond orchards

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Irrigation Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study aims to assess the long-term economic viability of deficit irrigation (DI) strategies in almond trees (cv. Marta) grown in a semiarid area (southeast Spain). A discounted cash flow analysis (DCFA) was performed to determine the profitability of the different irrigation regimes. Four irrigation treatments were evaluated over the first 6 years of an almond plantation: (1) full irrigation (FI); (2) regulated deficit irrigation (RDI) receiving 40 % ETc during kernel-filling and 100 % ETc during the remainder of the growing season; (3) mild-to-moderate sustained deficit irrigation (SDImm), irrigated at 75 % ETc (first half of the experiment) and 60 % ETc (second half of the experiment) over the entire growing season; and (4) moderate-to-severe SDI (SDIms), irrigated at 60 % ETc (first half of the experiment) and 30 % ETc (second half of the experiment) over the whole growing season. Irrigation water profit was mainly determined by the annual volume of irrigation water applied (water costs are around 50 % of variable costs). DCFA indicates that RDI and SDImm are the most economically feasible treatments, whereas FI and SDIms presented a similar degree of profitability over the 6-year period. Simulation outputs derived for the whole useful life of the investment indicate that SDImm would be the most suitable irrigation treatment to be adopted by almond farmers in the study area. We conclude that in a context of water scarcity, DI is a financially feasible alternative to FI.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

Notes

  1. GM shows the difference between selling price of an item and the variable costs incurred to be produced (Caballero et al. 1992).

  2. EWP represents the GM per unit of irrigation water applied.

  3. Discount rate used is 3.5 % (Almansa and Martínez-Paz 2011).

References

  • Alcon F, de Miguel MD, Burton M (2011) Duration analysis of adoption of drip irrigation technology in southeastern Spain. Technol Forecast Soc Chang 78(6):991–1001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Allen RG, Pereira LS, Raes D, Smith M (1998) Crop evapotranspiration. Guidelines for computing crop water requirements. FAO irrigation and drainage paper 56. Rome, Italy, pp 15–27

  • Almansa C, Martínez-Paz JM (2011) Intergenerational equity and dual discounting. Environ Dev Econ 16:685–707

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Caballero P, De Miguel MD, Juliá JF (1992) Costes y precios en horticultura. Ed Mundi-Prensa, Madrid

    Google Scholar 

  • CARM (2011) Precios agrarios http://wwwcarmes/neweb2/servlet/integraservlets. Accessed 26 March 2011

  • Caruso G, Rapoport HF, Gucci R (2011) Long-term evaluation of yield components of young olive trees during the onset of fruit production under different irrigation regimes. Irr Sci. doi:10.1007/s00271-011-0286-0

    Google Scholar 

  • Cason TN, Uhlaner RT (1991) Agricultural productions impact on water and energy demand—a choice modeling approach. Res Energy 13(4) 13, 307–321

    Google Scholar 

  • Chalmers DJ, Mitchell PD, van Heek L (1981) Control of peach tree growth and productivity by regulated water supply, tree density and summer pruning. J Am Soc Hort Sci 106:307–312

    Google Scholar 

  • Domingo R, Ruiz-Sánchez MC, Sánchez-Blanco MJ, Torrecillas A (1996) Water relations, growth and yield of Fino lemon trees under regulated deficit irrigation. Irrig Sci 16:115–123

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dry PR, Loveys BR, Düring H, Botting DG (1996). Effects of partial rootzone drying on grapevine vigour, yield compositions of fruit and use of water. In: StockleyCS, Sas AN, Johnstone RS, Lee TH (eds) Proceedings of the 9 August at Adelaide, wine industry technical conference. Australia, pp 128–131

  • Egea G, Nortes PA, González-Real MM, Baille A, Domingo R (2010) Agronomic response and water productivity of almond trees under contrasted deficit irrigation regimes. Agric Water Manage 97:171–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Egea G, Nortes PA, Domingo R, Baille A, Pérez-Pastor A, González-Real MM (2012) Almond agronomic response to long-term deficit irrigation applied since orchard establishment. Irrig Sci. doi:10.1007/s00271-012-0322-8

    Google Scholar 

  • English MJ (1990) Deficit irrigation: I. analytical framework. J Irrig Drain Eng 116:399–412

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • English MJ, Musick JT, Murty VVN (1990). Deficit irrigation. In: Hoff man GJ et al (eds) Management of farm irrigation systems. American Society of Agricultural, pp 631–663

  • European Commission (2000) Directive 2000/60/EC (Water Framework Directive). Official J Eur Communities L327, 22 December 2000

  • Falkenmark M (2000) Competing freshwater and ecological services in the river basin perspective: an expanded conceptual framework. Water Int 25:172–177

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Fereres E, Soriano MA (2007) Deficit irrigation for reducing agricultural water use. J Exp Bot 58:147–159

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fereres E, Goldhamer DA, Parsons LR (2003) Irrigation water management of horticultural crops. Historical review compiled for the American Society of Horticultural Science’s 100th Anniversary. HortScience 38:1036–1042

    Google Scholar 

  • Freeman MA, Viveros MA, Klonsky KA, De Moura RL (2003). Sample costs to establish an almond orchard and produce almonds. University of California Cooperative Extension, 20 p

  • García J, Romero P, Botía P, García F (2004) Cost-benefit analysis of almond orchard under regulated déficit (RDI) in SE Spain. Span J Agri Res 2:157–166

    Google Scholar 

  • García J, Martínez-Cutillas A, Romero P (2011) Financial analysis of wine grape production using regulated deficit irrigation and partial-root zone drying strategies. Irrig Sci. doi:10.1007/s00271-011-0274-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Garcia-Vila M, Fereres E, Mateos L, Orgaz F, Steduto P (2009) Deficit irrigation optimization of cotton with AquaCrop. Agron J 101(3):477–487. doi:10.2134/agronj2008.0179s

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • García-Vila M, Lorite IJ, Soriano MA, Fereres E (2008) Management trends and responses to water scarcity in an irrigation scheme of Southern Spain. Agric Water Manag 95(4):458–468

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Girona J, Mata M, Marsal J (2005) Regulated deficit irrigation during the kernel-filling period and optimal irrigation rates in almond. Agric Water Manage 75:152–167

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Goldhamer DA, Viveros M, Salinas M (2006) Regulated deficit irrigation in almonds: effects of variations in applied water and stress timing on yield and yield components. Irrig Sci 24:101–114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hsiao TC, Steduto P, Fereres E (2007) A systematic and quantitative approach to improve water use efficiency in agriculture. Irrig Sci 25:209–231

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hutmacher RB, Nightingale HI, Rolston DE, Biggar JW, Dale F, Vail SS, Peters D (1994) Growth and yield responses of almond (Prunus-Amygdalus) to trickle irrigation. Irrig Sci 14:117–126

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • IFAC (2008) International good practice guidance. Project appraisal using discounted cash flow. International federation of accountants. Available in http://www.ifac.org

  • Martin-Ortega J, Giannoccaro G, Berbel J (2011) Environmental and resources costs under water scarcity conditions: estimation in the context of the european Water framework directive. Water Resour Manage 25(6):1615–1633

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • MMA (2007) Precios y costes de los servicios del agua en España. Informe integrado de recuperación de costes de los servicios de agua en España (Prices and Costs of Water Services in Spain), Serie monografías, Ministerio de Medio Ambiente, Madrid

  • Pereira LS, Oweis T, Zairi A (2002) Irrigation management under water scarcity. Agr Water Manage 57:175–206

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-López D, Ribas F, Moriana A, Olmedilla N, de Juan A (2007) The effect of irrigation schedules on the water relations and growth of a young olive (O. europaea L.) orchard. Agric Water Manage 89:297–304

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Pastor A, Domingo R, Torrecillas A, Ruiz-Sánchez MC (2009) Response of apricot trees to deficit irrigation strategies. Irrig Sci 27:231–242

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pérez-Pérez JG, García J, Robles JM, Botía P (2010) Economic analysis of navel orange cv. ‘Lane late’ grown on two different drought-tolerant rootstocks under deficit irrigation in South-eastern Spain. Agric Water Manage 97:157–164

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rigby D, Alcón F, Burton M (2010) Supply uncertainty and the economic value of irrigation water. Eur Rev Agric Econ 37(1):97–117

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rodrigues GC, Pereira LS (2009) Assessing economic impacts of deficit irrigation as related to water productivity and water costs. Biosystems Eng 103(4):536–551

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Romero P, Botía P, García F (2004) Effects of regulated deficit irrigation under subsurface drip irrigation conditions on vegetative development and yield of mature almond trees. Plant Soil 260:169–181

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Romero P, García J, Botía P (2006) Cost–benefit analysis of a regulated deficit-irrigated almond orchard under subsurface drip irrigation conditions in Southeastern Spain. Irrig Sci 24(3):175–184. doi:10.1007/s00271-005-0008-6

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Zairi A, El Amami H, Slatni A, Pereira LS, Rodrigues PN, Machado T, Teixeira JL (2001) Irrigation scheduling strategies for cereals and Field horticultural crops under limited water availability in Tunisia. In: Proceedings of the workshop and expert consultation FAO-ICARDA-EU on drought mitigation for the near east the mediterranean. ICARDA, Aleppo. Syria 2(1–2):17

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science and the ERDF through the GEAMED project (Gestión y Eficiencia del Uso Sostenible del Agua de Riego en la Cuenca Mediterránea, grant number AGL2010-22221-C02-01), and the European Commission through the SIRRIMED project (Sustainable use of irrigation water in the Mediterranean Region, grant number FP7-FOOD-CT-2009-245159). P.A. Nortes acknowledge the financial support received from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (MICINN) program “Juan de la Cierva.” The authors acknowledge the valuable comments received from Professor Alain Baille on an earlier draft of this paper.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Economía de la Empresa, Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena, Paseo Alfonso XIII, 48, 30203, Cartagena, Spain

    Francisco Alcon

  2. Área de Ingeniería Agroforestal, Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Agronómica, Universidad de Sevilla, Ctra. Sevilla-Utrera km 1, 41013, Seville, Spain

    Gregorio Egea

  3. Departamento de Riego, Centro de Edafología y Biología Aplicada del Segura (CEBAS-CSIC), P.O. Box 164, 30100, Espinardo, Murcia, Spain

    Pedro A. Nortes

Authors
  1. Francisco Alcon
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gregorio Egea
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Pedro A. Nortes
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Francisco Alcon.

Additional information

Communicated by J. Kijne.

Francisco Alcon, Gregorio Egea and Pedro A. Nortes contributed equally to this work.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Alcon, F., Egea, G. & Nortes, P.A. Financial feasibility of implementing regulated and sustained deficit irrigation in almond orchards. Irrig Sci 31, 931–941 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-012-0369-6

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00271-012-0369-6

Keywords

Search

Navigation