Moisture Sensor-Based Irrigation Scheduling to Improve Water Productivity in Agriculture

As agriculture uses the majority of fresh water, there is a growing demand for irrigation on a global scale. For crop cultivation to achieve optimal quality and yield, there must be a sufficient supply of water. Inadequate water management causes water stress resulting in reduced plant growth and yield. Adopting precise, user-friendly technologies is necessary to achieve efficient water usage. Drip irrigation ensures uniform moisture distribution throughout the soil environment system and delivers precisely the right amount of water to the crop root zone. Crop production and water productivity will both rise when irrigation is planned based on real-time soil moisture assessment with soil moisture sensors. The results of research using real time soil moisture based irrigation for green pea, okra, and cowpea crops were significantly better than those using traditional surface irrigation methods. The yield of green pea, okra, and cowpea attained under soil moisture sensor based irrigation scheduling was 17.9 t/ha, 12.3 t/ha, and 12.2 t/ha, respectively. Significant water savings of 33%, 23%, and 24% were noticed in green pea, okra, and cowpea under sensor based irrigation scheduling as compared to other watering practices.