Assessing optimum irrigation water use: additional agricultural and non- agricultural sectors. Environment Agency Science Report - SC040008/SR1

The Water Act (2003) and its preceding legislation requires the Environment Agency to assess and justify authorisations for irrigation abstraction, whether for agricultural, horticultural, amenity, sports turf or other use. A previous study, Optimum use of water for industry and agriculture (W6-056), has provided a framework for assessing the ‘optimum’ or ‘reasonable’ needs of a wide range of crops. In this study, water use was analysed for a range of other agricultural and non-agricultural sectors dependent on irrigation, but not included in the W6-056 study. These include some sectors where new authorisations for trickle will be required, as well as for existing and new spray irrigation abstractions. The sectors considered include golf courses, racecourses, turf production, frost protection, horticultural nursery stock, pot plant and bedding plant production and glasshouse pro