Combining on-The-go soil sensing and a wireless sensor network to increase irrigation water use efficiency

L. Pan, V. I. Adamchuk, D. L. Martin, M. A. Schroeder, R. B. Ferguson

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contribution

Abstract

An efficient irrigation system should meet the demands of crops and minimize the amount of water applied. To investigate water use efficiency, on-The-go sensing technology (in this case, field elevation and apparent electrical conductivity) was used to reveal soil spatial variability relevant to water-holding capacity and to identify strategic sites where water availability could be monitored during the growing season to better determine plant needs. Nine locations in a 37-ha agricultural field were selected for monitoring the soil matric potential and temperature at four depths (18, 48, 79, and 109 cm) using wireless technology. These locations represented different growing conditions. The measurements were used to quantify the temporal variability of soil water content and water depletion, and to assess if the optimization of the irrigation water supply could increase water use efficiency in comparison to the current practice of uniform irrigation scheduling.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Title of host publicationPrecision Agriculture 2011 - Papers Presented at the 8th European Conference on Precision Agriculture 2011, ECPA 2011
EditorsJohn V. Stafford
PublisherCzech Centre for Science and Society
Pages459-468
Number of pages10
ISBN (Electronic)9788090483057
StatePublished - 2011
Event8th European Conference on Precision Agriculture 2011, ECPA 2011 - Prague, Czech Republic
Duration: Jul 11 2011Jul 14 2011

Publication series

NamePrecision Agriculture 2011 - Papers Presented at the 8th European Conference on Precision Agriculture 2011, ECPA 2011

Conference

Conference8th European Conference on Precision Agriculture 2011, ECPA 2011
Country/TerritoryCzech Republic
CityPrague
Period7/11/117/14/11

Keywords

  • Irrigation
  • On-The-go sensing
  • Soil matric potential
  • Water use efficiency
  • Wireless network

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Agronomy and Crop Science
  • Computer Science Applications

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