Water table contributions to sugarcane production: Impacts on irrigation water use efficiency

Shallow water tables can provide substantial contributions towards meeting a crop's water requirement. Inigation scheduling in areas affected by shallow water tables, therefore, should be modified to avoid excess ilTigation and to promote increased water use efficiency. Shallow water table~ are generally associated with areas of low elevation in the landscape, and there is evidence that shallow water tables are common throughout the sugar industry. In this paper, we review literature concerning the magnitude of water table contributions to water use by sugarcane and other crops. We also discuss the implications of capillary rise for changes to irrigation scheduling to maximise benefits of water table contributions to sugarcane water use, and outline some of the associated economic benefits.