“Irrigating U.S. crops prevents higher greenhouse gas emissions by avoiding land conversion, new research by Colorado State University shows. Agricultural irrigation allows the United States to grow more food on less land. If irrigation were suddenly shut off, the land-use change required to make up for lost yields would produce significantly more greenhouse gas emissions than irrigation emits—363 times more.

CSU scientists estimate the emissions saved by avoiding land-use change would equate to 363 years' worth of today's U.S. annual greenhouse gas emissions from irrigation.

Converting natural ecosystems to agricultural use releases carbon stored in soil and vegetation. Land use and land conversion for agriculture to produce food, fiber and fuel contribute nearly a quarter of global greenhouse gas emissions, making the sector a key priority for emissions reductions, the study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences states.”

From Phys.org.