What determines irrigation efficiency when farmers face extreme weather events? A field survey of the major wheat producing regions in China

作     者：SONG Chun-xiao Les Oxley MA Heng-yun 

作者机构：College of Economics and Management Henan Agricultural University Department of Economics and Finance University of Waikato 

出 版 物：《Journal of Integrative Agriculture》 (农业科学学报（英文版）)

年 卷 期：2018年第17卷第8期

页      面：1888-1899页

核心收录：

学科分类：082802[工学-农业水土工程] 08[工学] 09[农学] 0710[理学-生物学] 0832[工学-食品科学与工程（可授工学、农学学位）] 0830[工学-环境科学与工程（可授工学、理学、农学学位）] 1004[医学-公共卫生与预防医学(可授医学、理学学位)] 0905[农学-畜牧学] 0828[工学-农业工程] 0906[农学-兽医学] 0815[工学-水利工程] 0903[农学-农业资源与环境] 0901[农学-作物学] 0703[理学-化学] 0902[农学-园艺学] 0713[理学-生态学] 

基　　金：supported by the State Social Science Funds of China (14BGL093) the Specialized Research Fund for the Jointed Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China (20124105110006) the International Development Research Center (107093-001) 

主　　题：irrigation efficiency determinants irrigation facilities water-saving techniques extreme weather events 

摘      要：Water availability is a major constraint on grain production in China, therefore, improving irrigation efficiency is particularly important when agriculture faces extreme weather events. This paper first calculates irrigation efficiency with a translog stochastic frontier production function and then investigates what happens when extreme weather events occur via a Tobit model. The estimated results reveal several important features of irrigation practices: i) irrigation efficiency is lower when extreme weather events occur; ii) large variations in irrigation efficiency occur across irrigation facilities; iii) the farm plots exhibit an extreme distribution across efficiency levels; and iv) water-saving techniques, technology adoption, and the maintenance of farmers’ economic resilience are major determinants of irrigation efficiency. Based on these results we propose the following recommendations: i) farmers should balance crop yield and water use; undertake relevant training programs and adopt water-saving techniques; ii) local governments and researchers should help farmers to find the optimal level of irrigation water use based on their own circumstances and provide better water-saving techniques and training programs rather than simply encouraging farmers to invest in irrigation facilities in the most extreme weather years; and iii) the income level of farm households should be increased so as to improve their resilience to natural disasters.