ScienceDirect Special Issue Highlights Water for Agriculture
In October 2025, ScienceDirect journal published a special issue, titled Agricultural Water Management, for which WRRC Director Sharon B. Megdal served as a guest editor along with colleagues in New Mexico and California. This issue featured articles about the effects of drought and climate change on agricultural irrigation, focusing on papers of international significance relating to the science, economics, and policy of agricultural water management. This open-access journal issue is available online.
Director Megdal also co-authored the issue’s editorial paper, “Beyond Scarcity: Science-based solutions for water and agriculture in the Western United States.” This article introduces the subsequent journal articles, which address topics such as alternative crop choices to reduce water needs, use of cover crops for soil moisture conservation, precision irrigation and managed deficit irrigation, and managed aquifer recharge. Several works also address the interplay of irrigation technology, crop choice, and policy frameworks that influence farmers’ decisions. Together, the articles make a case for science-informed management of water resources that views agricultural productivity, environmental sustainability, and economic resilience as mutually compatible goals.