By the U of A System Division of Agriculture
Two researchers with the University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture will be part of a three-year study examining how farmers’ risk preferences impact water use during drought.
Mike Daniels, professor and extension soil and water conservation scientist, and John Pennington, extension water quality educator, are collaborating with co-principal investigators Kevin Befus, associate professor of geosciences at the University of Arkansas, and Kent Kovacs, associate professor of accounting, economics and finance at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.
The National Science Foundation’s Division of Research, Innovation, Synergies, and Education awarded $745,594 to the four researchers.
“This grant is an incredible opportunity to address a complex societal challenge —ensuring sustainable water use in agriculture,” Kovacs said. “No single discipline can solve this problem alone. We need interdisciplinary teams that combine economic modeling with hydrological data to understand how farmers respond to risk and changing water availability.”
The three-year project will integrate economic, hydrological and social science models to examine farmers’ irrigation decisions, particularly in groundwater-dependent agricultural systems like the Lower Mississippi River Basin. The research findings will help policymakers and water resource managers develop strategies for sustainable water use amid increasing climate challenges.
The Division of Agriculture, a sister entity to UA-Little Rock within the University of Arkansas System, conducts the land-grant missions of outreach and research and brings those unique skills to this project.
Both Pennington and Daniels have lengthy experience dealing directly with landowners, farmers and other Arkansas stakeholders across the state. Pennington has facilitated a series of watershed cleanup efforts in the Buffalo River watershed, and Daniels is director of the Arkansas Discovery Farm program, which addressed soil and water health by reducing nutrient runoff, with an eye to water quality in the lower Mississippi.
“Our role in the project is to organize, coordinate, and conduct the public outreach meetings with the producers,” Pennington said. “We look forward to sharing information and gaining insight into their valuable and critically important perspectives regarding climate resiliency, their use of irrigation water and the related challenges and concerns.”
“We are excited to work with Dr. Kovacs and Dr. Befus to help protect the groundwater resources of our state and to ensure that agriculture remains sustainable,” Daniels said.
Thomas Clifton, interim dean of the College of Business, Health and Human Services, said the study will address a critical challenge “for Arkansas and beyond,” and that the findings “will provide valuable insights that can help shape more sustainable agricultural practices and water conservation strategies.”
Agriculture requires enormous amounts of water in the United States and elsewhere, and drought can severely impact crop production. The study will use farmer surveys to measure their risk preferences and incorporate this data into economic and hydrological models. These models will simulate how irrigation decisions change over time, particularly during prolonged droughts, and predict whether farmers will adapt to drier conditions or overuse aquifers, potentially necessitating future public policy interventions.
“If our models suggest a rapid decline of aquifer resources, it may indicate the need for policy changes—whether through water use regulations, incentives, or conservation programs,” Kovacs said. “Billions of dollars are invested in irrigated crop agriculture in Arkansas, making it the state’s second-highest revenue-generating agricultural activity after poultry. Understanding how irrigated farming impacts our goods and services from water resources is crucial for the livelihoods of Arkansans and the future of our state’s economy.”
The project will include three stakeholder workshops with farmers, researchers, businesses, state and federal agencies and policymakers to ensure the research is grounded in real-world challenges and practical solutions.
The grant will also support education and outreach initiatives, including curriculum development and student training, with an emphasis on engaging non-traditional students in water resource management research.
“I’m thrilled to receive this grant,” Kovacs said. “This research will not only contribute to scientific understanding but also provide practical insights for farmers and policymakers, helping ensure long-term water sustainability for future generations.”
To learn about extension programs in Arkansas, contact your local Cooperative Extension Service agent or visit www.uaex.uada.edu. Follow us on X and Instagram at @AR_Extension. To learn more about Division of Agriculture research, visit the Arkansas Agricultural Experiment Station website: https://aaes.uada.edu/. Follow on X at @ArkAgResearch. To learn more about the Division of Agriculture, visit https://uada.edu/. Follow us on X at @AgInArk.
About the Division of Agriculture
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture’s mission is to strengthen agriculture, communities, and families by connecting trusted research to the adoption of best practices. Through the Agricultural Experiment Station and the Cooperative Extension Service, the Division of Agriculture conducts research and extension work within the nation’s historic land grant education system.
The Division of Agriculture is one of 20 entities within the University of Arkansas System. It has offices in all 75 counties in Arkansas and faculty on three campuses.
The University of Arkansas System Division of Agriculture offers all its Extension and Research programs to all eligible persons without regard to race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.
