PNNL

Abstract

Agricultural water management is increasingly prioritized throughout the world as producers are tasked with meeting growing crop demand while also managing environmental resources more sustainably. In response to this societal need, the informal research discipline of agrohydrology continues to grow, fueled by a new era of rapidly evolving research tools and big data availability. While many researchers are actively invested in agrohydrology as a research topic, there remains a gap in formalizing this valuable discipline. In June 2022, 18 agrohydrology researchers spanning academic, government, and non-government sectors gathered at the AGU Frontiers in Hydrology Meeting in San Juan, Puerto Rico, to give form to the future of agrohydrology research. Participants were directed to: (1) identify key research themes in agrohydrology, (2) conceptualize future research topics within each theme, and (3) estimate how many years in the future before the topic becomes pressing (i.e., relevant; timely). Results and outcomes from this session are summarized and shared in this commentary to help guide and direct the trajectories for a formalized discipline of agrohydrology, the practice of agricultural water management, and the conversation of the invested public.