Abstract
Irrigation and precipitation runoff from agricultural fields contributes to topsoil loss and to the sedimentation of river basins. The movement of suspended soil particles from fields to streams can also serve as a transport mechanism for agricultural chemicals. These agricultural nonpoint sources of pollution (NSP) are receiving increased attention from water quality regulators. Potential actions to curb such pollutants include regulating runoff and return flows, restricting chemical applications, and imposing agricultural best management practices (BMP), such as catch-basins and tailwater recovery systems. An improved technology, Polyacrylamide polymer (PAM), may offer a cost-effective alternative for reducing the transport of chemicals on soil particles. PAM can be added to irrigation water or spread directly on fields to flocculate the suspended soil particles, causing them to settle out of the water column. This chapter explored the conditions under which the on-farm benefits (such as reduced topsoil loss, increased infiltration, reduced water use and reduced chemical use) will be sufficient to promote the adoption of PAM, and the conditions under which additional incentives may be needed to encourage innovative technological adoption.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Bahr, G.L. and T.D. Stieber. 1996. “Reduction of Nutrient and Pesticide Losses Through the Application of Polyacrylamide in Surface Irrigated Crops,” in Sojka, R.E. and R.D. Lentz eds., Managing Irrigation Induced Erosion and Infiltration with Polyacrylamide, pp. 41–48. Miscellaneous Publication No. 101-96, University of Idaho, Twin Falls, ID.
Carter, D.L., C.E. Brockway, and K.K. Tanji. 1993. “Controlling Erosion and Sediment Loss from Furrow Irrigated Cropland.” Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering 119(6): 975–988.
Caswell, M. and D. Zilberman. 1985. “The Choices of Irrigation Technologies in California.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 67: 224–233.
Dinar, A., S.A. Hatchett, and E.T. Loehman. 1991. “Modeling Regional Irrigation Decisions and Drainage Pollution Control.” Natural Resource Modeling 5(2): 191–212.
Dinar, A. and D. Zilberman. 1991. Effects of Input Quality and Environmental Conditions on the Selection of Irrigation Technologies, pp. 229–250. Norwell, MA: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Gardner, R.L. and R.A. Young. 1988. “Assessing Strategies for the Control of Irrigation Induced Salinity in the Upper Colorado River Basin.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 70(1): 37–49.
Griffin, R.C. and D.W. Bromley. 1982. “Agricultural offoff as a Nonpoint Externality: A Theoretical Development.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 64: 547–552.
Helfand, G.E. and B.W. House. 1995. “Regulating Nonpoint Source Pollution under Heterogeneous Conditions.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 77(4): 1024–1032.
Jacobs, J.J. and G.L. Casier. 1979. “Internalizing Externalities of Phosphorus Discharges from Crop Production to Surface Water: Effluent Taxes versus Uniform Reductions.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 61(2): 309–312.
Lentz, R. D. 1996. “Irrigation,” pp. 162–165. McGraw-Hill Yearbook of Science and Technology, USA.New York, NY: McGraw-Hill, Inc.
Lilleboe, D. 1995. “PAM: An Ally for Furrow Irrigators.” The Sugarbeet Grower, pp. 8–10. (February)
McCutchan, H., P. Osterli, and J. Letey. 1993. “Polymers Check Furrow Erosion, Help River Life.” California Agriculture 47(5): 10–11.
Shortle, J.S. and J.W. Dunn. 1986. “The Relative Efficiency of Agricultural Source Water Pollution Control Policies.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 68: 668–677.
Sojka, R.E. and R.D. Lentz. 1994. “Time for Yet Another Look at Soil Conditioners.” Soil Science 158(4): 233–234.
—. 1996a. “A PAM Primer: A Brief History of PAM and PAM-related Issues,” in R.E. Sojka, and R.D. Lentz, eds., Managing Irrigation Induced Erosion and Infiltration with Polyacrylamide, pp. 11–20. Miscellaneous Publication No. 101-96, University of Idaho, Twin Falls, ID.
—. 1996b. “Polyacrylamide for Furrow Irrigation Erosion Control.” Irrigation Journal 64: 8–11.
USDA et al. (U.S. Department of Agriculture; Soil Conservation Service; U.S. Department of Agriculture; Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation Service; University of California; Cooperative Extension; and West Stanislaus Resource Conservation District.) 1991. West Stanislaus Hydrologic Unit Area Project: 1991 Progress Report.CA: Stanislaus County.
—. 1992. West Stanislaus Hydrologic Unit Area Project: 1992 Progress Report. CA.
—. 1995. West Stanislaus Hydrologie Unit Area Project: 1995 Progress Report. CA.
USDA/SCS (U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation Service). 1992. West Stanislaus Sediment Reduction Plan.Stanislaus County, California.
UCCE (University of California, Cooperative Extension). 1996a. Formation of Drainage Authority Becomes a Possibility, p. 1. Modesto, CA: Westside Water.
—. 1996b. Preliminary Polymer Trial Results Promising but Inconclusive, p. 5. Modesto, CA: Westside Water.
—. 1997. Powerblocks Revisited, pp. 1–2. Westside Water, Modesto, CA.
Wu, J. and K. Segerson. 1995. “The Impact of Policies and Land Characteristics on Potential Groundwater Pollution in Wisconsin.” American Journal of Agricultural Economics 77(4): 1033–1047.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1999 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Parker, D.D., Caswell, M.F. (1999). Technological Innovation to Remove Water Pollutants. In: Casey, F., Schmitz, A., Swinton, S., Zilberman, D. (eds) Flexible Incentives for the Adoption of Environmental Technologies in Agriculture. Natural Resource Management and Policy, vol 17. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4395-0_15
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-4395-0_15
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-5888-9
Online ISBN: 978-94-011-4395-0
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive