Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA

In recent decades, there has been a massive replacement of flood irrigation with drip irrigation throughout the world. Numerous studies have been published on the efficiency of these techniques in terms of water savings, but few works have paid attention to their economic efficiency at farm scale. I...

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Main Authors: Marta García-Mollá, Rosa Puertas Medina, Virgina Vega-Carrero, Carles Sanchis-Ibor
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-03-01
Series:Agricultural Water Management
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425000289
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author Marta García-Mollá
Rosa Puertas Medina
Virgina Vega-Carrero
Carles Sanchis-Ibor
author_facet Marta García-Mollá
Rosa Puertas Medina
Virgina Vega-Carrero
Carles Sanchis-Ibor
author_sort Marta García-Mollá
collection DOAJ
description In recent decades, there has been a massive replacement of flood irrigation with drip irrigation throughout the world. Numerous studies have been published on the efficiency of these techniques in terms of water savings, but few works have paid attention to their economic efficiency at farm scale. In this research, a two-stage methodology has been used for this purpose, developed in three irrigated areas of the region of Valencia (Eastern Spain). In the first stage, interviews were conducted with experts from irrigation communities and cooperatives, and in the second stage, an efficiency analysis was carried out using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). It is concluded that, although the cultivation costs of drip irrigation are lower and the technology gap (TGRK) is smaller than flood irrigation, there is much room for improvement. Policies to promote the installation of localised irrigation should include complementary measures to ensure the viability of modernised farms.
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institution OA Journals
issn 1873-2283
language English
publishDate 2025-03-01
publisher Elsevier
record_format Article
series Agricultural Water Management
spelling doaj-art-b6f1ce158793454aa336a7ada8ddc44e2025-08-20T02:13:44ZengElsevierAgricultural Water Management1873-22832025-03-0130910931410.1016/j.agwat.2025.109314Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEAMarta García-Mollá0Rosa Puertas Medina1Virgina Vega-Carrero2Carles Sanchis-Ibor3Centro Valenciano de Estudios del Riego, Universitat Politècnica de València, Spain; Corresponding author.Economics and Social Sciences Department (Building 7J), Universitat Politècnica de València, Camí de Vera s/n, 46022, SpainCentro Valenciano de Estudios del Riego, Universitat Politècnica de València, SpainCentro Valenciano de Estudios del Riego, Universitat Politècnica de València, SpainIn recent decades, there has been a massive replacement of flood irrigation with drip irrigation throughout the world. Numerous studies have been published on the efficiency of these techniques in terms of water savings, but few works have paid attention to their economic efficiency at farm scale. In this research, a two-stage methodology has been used for this purpose, developed in three irrigated areas of the region of Valencia (Eastern Spain). In the first stage, interviews were conducted with experts from irrigation communities and cooperatives, and in the second stage, an efficiency analysis was carried out using Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA). It is concluded that, although the cultivation costs of drip irrigation are lower and the technology gap (TGRK) is smaller than flood irrigation, there is much room for improvement. Policies to promote the installation of localised irrigation should include complementary measures to ensure the viability of modernised farms.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425000289Data envelopment analysisWater efficiencyDrip irrigationFlood irrigation
spellingShingle Marta García-Mollá
Rosa Puertas Medina
Virgina Vega-Carrero
Carles Sanchis-Ibor
Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA
Agricultural Water Management
Data envelopment analysis
Water efficiency
Drip irrigation
Flood irrigation
title Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA
title_full Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA
title_fullStr Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA
title_full_unstemmed Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA
title_short Economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation. Comparative analysis at farm scale using DEA
title_sort economic efficiency of drip and flood irrigation comparative analysis at farm scale using dea
topic Data envelopment analysis
Water efficiency
Drip irrigation
Flood irrigation
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0378377425000289
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AT rosapuertasmedina economicefficiencyofdripandfloodirrigationcomparativeanalysisatfarmscaleusingdea
AT virginavegacarrero economicefficiencyofdripandfloodirrigationcomparativeanalysisatfarmscaleusingdea
AT carlessanchisibor economicefficiencyofdripandfloodirrigationcomparativeanalysisatfarmscaleusingdea