Video: Making the Most of Every Drop - Philip Harder
In water limited environments, like the Canadian Prairies, water limitations are a consistent challenge to agricultural production. Water conservation is imperative for dryland production, and for irrigated acres in periods of reduced allocation, and so understanding crop water use, its spatial variability, and how to manage it is crucial to make the most of every drop.
This session will discuss crop water use dynamics, how and why it varies between crop types, tools and approaches to quantify soil moisture, and the capacity of agricultural practises to manage soil moisture in this challenging environment.
Dr. Phillip Harder is the Research Director & Hydrological Scientist at Croptimistic Technologies. He grew up on a family farm near Saskatoon and studied Hydrology at the University of Saskatchewan (PhD 2018). He is focused on improving the understanding of the relationships between hydrology and agriculture, and its spatial variability, on the Canadian Prairies. The overarching motivation of his work is to develop knowledge, and tools, to improve agricultural outcomes and reduce water-related risks for producers.