THE DERIVED DEMAND FOR IRRIGATION SCHEDULING SERVICES

Scientific irrigation scheduling is a technique for systematically determining the proper date and quantity of each irrigation in individual fields. This technique is presently being used by government agencies and private companies in the Western United States to assist farmers in planning irrigations. This paper presents the results of a case study of the regional economic effects of scheduling the A & B District in Idaho. The analysis indicated that substantial reductions in total water use resulted from implementation of the service. However, the acreage of scheduled irrigation actively was found to be sensitive to the cost of the service and the cost of irrigation water.