Cost-effectiveness of irrigation on Québec potato farms

Description

No in-depth studies have been done on the cost-effectiveness of irrigating potatoes. The aim of this project is to evaluate this aspect of potato production economics to assist producers and their advisors. A survey of irrigation costs was first conducted on a representative sample of farms. This data was used to calculate profitability thresholds for various irrigation systems in the absence of yield data. Profitability thresholds represent the necessary gains in yield quantity and/or quality to make a practice cost-effective.

Objective(s)

• Evaluate the cost of irrigating potatoes under different soil and climate conditions
• Calculate profitability thresholds in terms of the yield gains required to ensure a return on investment
• In cooperation with specialists and participating producers, estimate the probability of the desired yield gains by region