Editing Intensive farming (section)

====Irrigation====
{{Main|Irrigation}}
[[File:PivotIrrigationOnCotton.jpg|thumb|Overhead irrigation, [[center pivot irrigation|center-pivot]] design]]

Crop irrigation accounts for 70% of the world's fresh water use.<ref>Pimentel, Berger, et al., "Water resources: agricultural and environmental issues", BioScience 54.10 (Oct 2004), p909</ref> [[Surface irrigation|Flood irrigation]], the oldest and most common type, is typically unevenly distributed, as parts of a field may receive excess water in order to deliver sufficient quantities to other parts. [[Irrigation#Overhead (sprinkler) irrigation|Overhead irrigation]], using center-pivot or lateral-moving sprinklers, gives a much more equal and controlled distribution pattern. [[Drip irrigation]] is the most expensive and least-used type, but delivers water to plant roots with minimal losses.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Drip Irrigation System for sustainable agriculture |url=https://www.agriculturelandusa.com/2023/07/Drip-Irrigation-system.html |access-date=2024-03-07 |website=Agriculture land USA}}</ref>

[[Water catchment]] management measures include recharge pits, which capture rainwater and runoff and use it to recharge groundwater supplies. This helps in the replenishment of groundwater wells and eventually reduces soil erosion. Dammed rivers creating [[reservoirs]] store water for irrigation and other uses over large areas. Smaller areas sometimes use irrigation ponds or groundwater.