By Scout Nelson
Efficient water use is becoming increasingly important as global water supplies decline, and food demand rises. New research from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln provides a practical solution to help farmers manage irrigation more effectively while maintaining profitability.
“Agriculture uses about 70% of the world’s freshwater, and nearly 40% of food production depends on irrigated land,” said Erkut Sönmez, associate professor of supply chain management and analytics at Nebraska. “With water supplies declining in many regions, finding more efficient ways to irrigate crops has become critical.”
To address this challenge, Sönmez worked with Derek Heeren and Baris Ata to develop simple irrigation rules based on soil moisture levels. Their study focuses on identifying when irrigation should begin and when it should stop under different weather and soil conditions.
“We introduced simple, smart irrigation rules that help farmers decide exactly when to water their crops and when to stop,” Sönmez said. “Instead of relying on guesswork, farmers can monitor soil moisture and irrigate only when it drops below a certain level and apply an optimum depth of water. The system works much like a thermostat, automatically maintaining the right balance.”
The researchers found that this method reduces water use while increasing farm profits compared to traditional irrigation practices. These benefits become even more important in regions facing water shortages.
“Even more importantly, the benefits grow stronger as water becomes scarcer, making these methods especially valuable in drought-prone regions. For farmers looking to stay profitable while conserving resources, these results point toward a new sustainable solution,” Heeren said.
The study also highlights the value of combining ideas from different fields. The team applied inventory management concepts, commonly used in supply chains, to manage water levels in soil.
“Our research combines ideas from supply chain management and agriculture to help farmers make better decisions,” Sönmez said. “In particular, we adapted inventory management policies used to manage products in a warehouse to instead manage water in the soil, which has never been done before.”
Futures include testing these methods in real farm conditions and expanding similar approaches to areas like fertilizer management.
Photo Credit: gettyimages-zms
Categories: Nebraska, General, Sustainable Agriculture