This document discusses key initiatives for achieving sustainability and food security. It argues that to meet growing global food demands, agriculture must (1) use available water efficiently, (2) innovate and integrate mechanical, chemical and biological techniques, (3) value healthy soils and roots, and (4) uniformly deliver inputs. Achieving uniformity and balance across these areas through cooperation between farmers, industry, academia and government can help create a more sustainable future.

1. Valuing Water and Soil to Achieve
Sustainability and Food Security
by Paul T. Bially

2. Presentation Overview
1 SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE PRINCIPLES
2 GLOBAL TRENDS FOR CLIMATE, WATER & ENERGY
3 4 KEY INITIATIVES FOR FOOD SECURITY
4 SUMMARY

3. Economic
Environmental Social
www.sare.org

4. Landscape Sustainability
Stewardship,
Responsibility
Reduced vegetative cover
Soil compaction Improved air & water quality
Reduced infiltration Increased soil health
Increased runoff
Increased evapotranspiration
Decreased soil activity
Increased vegetative cover
Decreased soil organic matter
Reduced runoff
Impaired water & air quality
Increased infiltration
Improved soil conditions
Degradation
Sustainable Sites Initiative

5. The Waste Hierarchy
Sustainability
The more
Prevention
sustainable the
practice, the more
Reduction efficient the use of
resources
Reusing/Recycling
Disposal
Sustainable Sites Initiative

6. Global Population is Increasing
10
9 Billion
9
Billion People
8
7 Billion
7
6
5 Billion
5
4
3 Billion
1960 1987 2011 2050 ?

7. World Energy Consumption
1990-2035 770
619
Quadrillion Btu
Global energy 505
use is expected
to jump 30+% 354
by 2035, largely
driven by strong
demand from
places like India
and China.
U.S. Energy Information Administration

8. World Energy Consumption
Projected Mix-2035
29% Oil
7%
Nuclear
27% Coal
14% 23%
Renewables Natural Gas
U.S. Energy Information Administration

9. There is a global challenge to
produce almost 50% more food up
to 2030 and double production by
2050.
Agriculture is the major user of
water, accounting for about 70% of
the world’s freshwater withdrawals
and over 40% of total water
withdrawals.
Future crop producers will likely
have to YIELD MORE WITH LESS
due to effects of urbanization,
industrialization, and climate
change.

11. Source UN
Source UN

12. 4 Keys to Food Security
1 2 3 4
Integrate Uniformly
Use Mechanical, Value Soil & Deliver
Available Chemical & Healthy Inputs to
Water Biological Roots Intended
Efficiently Innovations Targets

13. #1: Use Water Efficiently
Air Water use efficiency and
conservation are essential for
sustainable food production.
Water
The slightest iswatercan be
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deficits can
impact crop yield and quality.
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your own text.
Plants
Excessive irrigation is wasteful and
equally detrimental: leading to
increased erosion, run-off, nutrient
Soil leaching, disease susceptibility, and
resource costs.
We need to achieve uniformity and balance.

15. 2011 Headlines

16. Water Use Efficiency
Achieved when crop actually uses most of the
water applied by irrigation systems.
Dependent on:
1. water being applied as uniformly as
possible
2. water being applied in proper amounts at
appropriate time intervals
Irrigation Association

17. Water Use Efficiency Benefits
• Improved plant health and yield
• Reduced runoff and leaching
• Reduced agrochemical usage
• Reduced pump operation, energy, and
maintenance costs
Irrigation Association

18. #2: Innovate and Integrate
Introduce stress-
Control Biological Pests
tolerant crops
Manage Abiotic Advance Mechanical
Plant Stress Delivery Systems

19. Integrated Irrigation Concept
Chemical
•pH & salinity adjusters
•Soil Penetrants
Mechanical •Hydrogels Biological
(water retention) •Beneficial Microbes
•Pumps, valves, nozzles,
•Biostimulants
emitters
•Enzymes
•Computer control systems
•Soil sensors
Irrigation

20. Mechanical Advances
Advantages and Limitations
Positive Negative
Allow growers to control the Unable to control water
timing, duration, and delivery below the surface
uniformity of water applied and into the root zone where
to the plant & soil surface. many economic and
agronomic benefits are
realized

21. Water Droplet Interaction
with the Land Surface
air
air
water
water
land surface land surface
contact angle <90° 90°or greater
infiltration no infiltration
influenced biochemically by oils and waxes
from plants, microbes, agrochemical residue, pollutants, etc.

22. The Impact of Impervious Land Cover*
Natural Ground Cover 10-20% Impervious Surface
10% Runoff 20% Runoff
35-50% Impervious Surface 75-100% Impervious Surface
55% Runoff
30% Runoff
*roads, parking lots, sidewalks, roof tops, patios, etc.

23. Water Infiltration Rate vs
Soil Moisture Content
1
(36% VWC) y= 0.0619x – 0.1195
Cumulative Infiltration (cm)
0.82
(18% VWC)
0.69
(10% VWC)
0.57
0.5
0.38
0.25
0.13
0 0
0 5 10 15
Square Root of Time

24. #3: Value Soils & Healthy Roots
• Undervaluation of soils is a major issue facing modern
agriculture. Soils are living ecosystems directly impacting the
movement and delivery of water and agrichemicals in the
environment.
• Roots provide the foundation for plant growth and
development. They facilitate uptake and absorption of water
and nutrients. Healthy, well- developed root systems help
plants withstand biological and abiotic stress.
• Technologies focused on soil and roots can help
us achieve sustainability and food security.
We often neglect what we cannot see…

25. Requirements of a Growing Medium
• To provide anchorage for the plant
• To provide adequate air spaces for root respiration
• To hold sufficient available water
• To hold sufficient available nutrients
• To be free of plant pathogens, pests, and weeds
• To be safe when handled by people
Growing Media Association

26. #4: Uniformly Deliver Inputs
•If the add text nutrient content
Click to soil’s
or water-holding capacity
differs from place to place, it
can mean lower fruit yields,
lower producer profits and
higher consumer prices for
fresh citrus and citrus juice.
• Citrus groves are typically
managed as if the soil were
uniform. Consequently,
areas with poorer-than-
average soil may end up
deprived of nutrients or
irrigation, reducing the
grove’s potential yield by 10
percent to 50 percent.

27. Soil Variability
DRY
SATURATED
Soil surface properties can vary considerably
and may not allow favorable interactions with
irrigation or rainfall.

28. Soil Variability
Plant growth media may naturally resist
hydration, especially at low moisture contents,
inhibiting uniform percolation.

29. Preferential Flow of Agrichemicals
DRY
SATURATED
a common
challenge in all
soil types
after 10 minutes after 1 hour

30. Soil & Root Zone Variability
Large dry spot on soil Uniform treatment
surface remained of the soil surface
untreated with Additive
Soil Surface: Nutrient Treatment Soil Surface: Nutrient + Additive
Simulated Drip Irrigation (0.5mL)

31. Depth of Water Penetration--(1000ppm)
5 mL 5 mL 5 mL 10 mL 6 mL 7 mL
P1 P2 P3 P4 P5 P6
10 cc hydrophobic soil irrigated with 1.5 mL treated water

32. The Evolution of Adjuvants & Inerts
Adjuvants
The definition of a tank
mix adjuvant, as
developed and approved
Inerts by ASTM, is a material
An inert added to a tank mix to
ingredient is aid or modify the action
any substance of an agricultural
other than an chemical or the physical
“active” characteristics of the
ingredient, mixture.
which is
intentionally
included in a
pesticide.

33. Summary
To hit our target of food security & sustainability
1 Use Available Water Efficiently
2 Innovate & Integrate
3 Value Soils and Healthy Roots
4 Uniformly Deliver Inputs
Strive for uniformity and
balance.

34. We Are All Responsible For a
FARMER INDUSTRY ACADEMIA GOVERNMENT
Sustainable
Future