Print This PageWhy Water?
Learn more about agriculture and water use (.pdf 212K)
Water is the most important input to grow a crop. If we can find ways to maximize a crop’s water utilization, we enable farmers to have a better opportunity to produce more food and increase their incomes.
Improving water use in agriculture is a multi-faceted approach. It involves using the best genetics, traits and agronomic practices on each individual farmer’s operation. The center showcases up to 80 demonstration plots that allow visitors to see Monsanto’s key crop technologies, including Genuity™ Roundup Ready® 2 Yield soybeans, Genuity ™VT Triple PRO corn and first-generation drought tolerant technology for corn, first-hand. They can also view different agronomic systems and technologies that are part of the path to higher yields using fewer inputs.
Facts about Agriculture and Water
U.S. Agriculture
Total crop land = 406 million acres
Irrigated crop land = 56.5 million acres, or 14% of all crop land
Nebraska Agriculture
Total crop land = 21.4 million acres
Irrigated crop land = 8.5 million acres, or 39% of all crop land
For every inch of water a farmer applies through irrigation, it uses 27,154 gallons of water – per acre.
Learn more about agriculture and water use (.pdf 212K)
Sources: 2007 Census of Agriculture, USDA, www.agcensus.usda.gov; and National Agricultural Statistics Service, www.nass.usda.gov
