From Field to Shelf:Water solutions Across the Food Supply Chain

Industry Best Practicesin Increasing Efficiency in Food Production

Ron McMullin, Executive Director

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Forms of Water

Southern Alberta Scenes Made Possible By Water

Forms of Water

One of the previous slides was not irrigation-based; which one was

it?

Other Forms of Water(with a few solids added)

Forms of Water

How much water does it take to grow food?Lettuce (500 ml) 11 litres

Ketchup (30 ml) 11 litres

Whole Wheat Bread (1 slice) 26 litres

Tomato (125 grams) 30 litres

Fresh Broccoli (75 grams) 42 litres

Oranges (130 grams) 53 litres

Milk (250 ml) 180 litres

Cheese (28 grams) 210 litres

Egg (1) 240 litres

Plain Yogurt (500 ml) 333 litres

Chicken (227 grams) 1,250 litres

Hamburger (113 grams) 2,330 litres

Steak (227 grams) 4,662 litres

Crops Grown Under Irrigation in Alberta

• Alfalfa seed, canary seed, caraway seed, carrots, catnip, chick peas, dill, dry beans, dry peas, faba beans, fresh sweet corn, fresh peas, grass seed, hemp, lawn turf, lentils, market garden vegetables and small fruits, mint, monarda, nursery stock, onions, potatoes, pumpkins, safflower, seed potatoes, soy beans, sugar beets, sunflower, canola, flax, mustard, barley, grain corn, oats, triticale, wheat (5 kinds), 15 various forages for livestock.

Irrigation: variety, assurance, quality, and yield

Irrigation Best Practices

• Irrigation has a major public trust – to make the best use of water licensed by the Government (people) of Alberta

• Use less to produce more • Create more opportunities for society

Losses that can be reduced• Seepage from canals• Canal base-flow spills• Seepage, evaporation and spills from laterals

(small delivery canals)• Runoff from gravity flooded fields• Non-uniform applications to crops• Evaporation of water being applied to crops

IRP Program• Commitment of Provincial Government and

Irrigation Districts to make annual investment in improving the irrigation system

• 75% government: 25% irrigation district• Government $24 M per year• Districts $8 M per year, plus many invest

more of their own funds to speed up the rehabilitation; more than $26 M last year

Controlling Canal Seepage• Losses are 2 to 3 %; membrane liners save

water

Controlling Canal Tailout and Bypass

• Remote and accurate monitoring of flow in canals and laterals (8,000 km)

• Automated gate operation and remote activation of gates to control flows

• Required notice from farmers to turn water on and off at the farm

SCADA – Measuring/Controlling water deliveries

Systems • Must be calibrated• Report flows• Can adjust flows to match demand• Not total automation: flow adjustment much

quicker and quite accurate but still need personal experience and verification

Benefits of better flow control

• Reduced diversions• Less spill water, i.e., less return flow (water

quality is always lower)

Return flow reduction from districts

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Pipelines

Pipelines Versus Open Chanels

Pipelines Advantages include• No seepage• No evaporation• No water use by phreatophytic plants• On/off capability with appropriate

valving

2810 km of Pipelines; 630 km Canals Membrane-Lined

Water savings from Pipelines and Canal Rehabilitation

• Seepage and evaporation losses about 3%• 43% of canal system in pipe and lined canal• At least 2/3 of greatest problem areas• Savings 42,000 ac-ft per year

Water savings – reduce evaporation, seepage, and leaching on-farm

Upping Efficiencyof On-Farm Water Application

Gravity Wheel-move High Pressure Pivots Low Pressure Pivots2010 145,879 198,043 156,784 802,1732001 206,956 335,740 223,510 447,710

Change -61,077 -137,697 -66,726 354,463

Inches 7.5 3.5 2 TotalAcre-feet 38,173 40,162 11,121 89,456 (110 M m3)

Changes in On-farm Irrigation Systems over 10 Years

Water Saved

Efficiency Investment Results• Total $$$ spent by Government of Canada,

Government of Alberta, and the Irrigation Districts in collaborative programs equals $1.02 billion; farmers $0.6 billion

• Canada’s irrigation, of which Alberta constitutes over 60%, is ranked 2nd in the world for its efficient systems (for countries with as much or more irrigated area)

Efficiency Investment Results• Since 1976, irrigation farmers in districts

irrigate 46% more land and divert 10% less water.

Increasing productivity of potatoes, sugar beets, and soft white wheat

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Riparian Health

Riparian Health

Social Commitments

• AIPA Human Use Declaration: communities (people) will be given priority over irrigation in times of drought

• Irrigation districts will make water available in the SouthGrow region for communities and economic development

Climate Change• Climate change is a big unkown• Dr. Stephan Kienzle’s research indicates we

may have as much moisture fall in the mountains, but that the form and timing will change: likely more rainfall and less snow, so more rapid peaking of rivers and more rapid recession

When you are thirsty, you find a way to adapt, and get water