167

Symposium--Blue Waves, Green Dreams, and Shades of Gray: Perspectives on Water

Oral Session

Special Sessions

Sponsored by Toro Micro-Irrigation. Our planet is expected to house another two billion residents in the next two generations. Water demand is increasing; water supplies are not. The demands for human use and agricultural production increase daily. The unforeseen consequences of climate change create additional uncertainties, both locally and globally. Our ability to feed this growing world population is directly correlated with our ability to "green" the water in our agroecosystems by reducing our "blue" and "grey" water footprint. Blue represents the available fresh water (surface and ground water) and stored soil moisture minus losses and environmental maintenance requirements. Green represents "working" water, including: water needed during the crop life cycle; water transpired by plants; and water utilized for food, fuel, and fiber production. Gray represents "worked" water, water that may be polluted to different degrees after production of goods and services, with potential return as blue or green water. The speakers will address our world's water supply from three general perspectives as represented by the colors blue, green, and gray. The panelists will address potential constraints to water use - the practical, the legal, and the economic - that may impact scientific efforts and their relevance to public policy and perception. The challenge of “greening” the world’s water supply requires a coordinated effort by scientists and practitioners from many disciplines, including agronomy, plant physiology, soil science, geohydrology, ecology, sociology, economics, and others. Each discipline has a different perspective. Understanding and appreciating those perspectives is essential to an coordinated effort that improves our water use to maintain agronomic productivity and economic security.

Not able to attend the meetings? Attend this live streaming session online and earn 3.0 CEU SW.
Online Registration: Member price $75; Certified/Non-member Price $95