5 days ago
IIT Bombay, Pune institute irrigation plan to cut 30% water use in drought-hit areas
Farmers in drought-prone regions face the daily dilemma of when and how much to irrigate. Unpredictable rainfall and dwindling groundwater make efficient water management address this, researchers at IIT Bombay and the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, have developed a smart irrigation plan that can cut water use in these areas and help farmers save 30% of the water without loss in crop irrigation plan integrates extended-range weather forecasts, satellite soil moisture data, and a computer simulation model to predict irrigation needs up to three weeks in advance. Earlier pilots in Nashik, Maharashtra, combined local soil moisture sensor readings with weather forecasts.
"During our pilot study in Nashik, we included local weather forecasts in the soil moisture data and showed farmers that groundwater can be conserved by up to 30 percent. We initially predicted up to one week (short-range) ahead,' said Professor Subimal Ghosh of IIT system advises farmers whether to irrigate immediately or wait for predicted rainfall, preventing unnecessary STUDY IN NASHIKSoil moisture sensors alone can mislead when unexpected rain arrives soon after feeding 1-3-week forecasts and soil capacity data into their eco-hydrological model, the team calculated crop-specific water requirements and soil water model accurately predicted irrigation scheduling, enabling grape farms to reduce water use by 10-30percent without compromising TO BANKURABuilding on Nashik's success, the researchers applied their method to 12 sub-districts in Bankura, West Bengal, covering maize, wheat, sunflower, groundnut, and global soil maps, satellite and field data, and information from FAO, IMD, and IITM Pune, they incorporated root zone depth, soil texture, porosity, water-holding capacity, and stomatal response into the model.'Our computer model depicts the natural process by which plants draw water from the soil, their adaptation during water stress, and their response during a water balance after irrigation or rainfall,' Professor Ghosh simulations showed consistent 10-30percent water savings across all crops and DEPLOYMENT AND INFRASTRUCTURETo expand regionally, researchers plan village level discussions to install a few sensors and develop a real-time advisory have also proposed a bio-manufacturing hub to train students and industry researchers on smart protein production and API design, and aim to support TRLs3-7 for prototype by the West Bengal Environment Department, DSTSwarnajayanti Fellowship, SPLICE, Climate Change Programme, and Oracle CSR, this initiative demonstrates how weather forecasting, remote sensing, and simulation can revolutionise irrigation management and reduce groundwater dependency.- Ends
