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Towards Affordable Precision Irrigation: An Experimental Comparison of Weather-Based and Soil Water Potential-Based Irrigation Using Low-Cost IoT-Tensiometers on Drip Irrigated Lettuce

Author

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  • Ahmed A. Abdelmoneim

    (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy)

  • Roula Khadra

    (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy)

  • Angela Elkamouh

    (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy)

  • Bilal Derardja

    (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy)

  • Giovanna Dragonetti

    (Mediterranean Agronomic Institute of Bari, 70010 Bari, Italy)

Abstract

Predictive weather-based models are widely used to schedule irrigation through the estimation of crop evapotranspiration. However, perceiving real-time crop water requirements remains a challenge. This research aims at field validating and exploiting a low-cost IoT soil moisture tensiometer prototype to consequently compare weather-based irrigation to soil water moisture-based irrigation in terms of yield and crop water productivity. The prototype is based on the ESP32 microcontroller and BMP180 barometric sensor. When compared to a mechanical tensiometer, the IoT prototype proved its accuracy, registering an average R 2 equal to 0.8 and an RMSE range of 4.25–7.1 kPa. In a second step, the irrigation of a Romaine lettuce field ( Lactuca sativa L.) cultivated under a drip system was managed according to two different scenarios: (1) using the data feed from the IoT tensiometers, irrigation was performed to keep the soil water potential between −15 and −25 kPa; (2) using the data provided by the in-situ weather station to estimate the crop water requirements. When comparing the yield, no significant difference was registered between the two scenarios. However, the water productivity was significantly higher, registering a 36.44% increment in scenario 1. The experiment highlights the water-saving potential achievable through real-time monitoring of soil moisture conditions. Since it is a low-cost device (82.20 USD), the introduced prototype facilitates deploying and managing a fleet of sensors for soil water potential live mapping.

Suggested Citation

  • Ahmed A. Abdelmoneim & Roula Khadra & Angela Elkamouh & Bilal Derardja & Giovanna Dragonetti, 2023. "Towards Affordable Precision Irrigation: An Experimental Comparison of Weather-Based and Soil Water Potential-Based Irrigation Using Low-Cost IoT-Tensiometers on Drip Irrigated Lettuce," Sustainability, MDPI, vol. 16(1), pages 1-15, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jsusta:v:16:y:2023:i:1:p:306-:d:1309638
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Delgoda, Dilini & Saleem, Syed K. & Malano, Hector & Halgamuge, Malka N., 2016. "Root zone soil moisture prediction models based on system identification: Formulation of the theory and validation using field and AQUACROP data," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 163(C), pages 344-353.
    2. García-Tejera, Omar & López-Bernal, Álvaro & Orgaz, Francisco & Testi, Luca & Villalobos, Francisco J., 2021. "The pitfalls of water potential for irrigation scheduling," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 243(C).
    3. Kassaye, Kassu Tadesse & Boulange, Julien & Lam, Van Thinh & Saito, Hirotaka & Watanabe, Hirozumi, 2020. "Monitoring soil water content for decision supporting in agricultural water management based on critical threshold values adopted for Andosol in the temperate monsoon climate," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 229(C).
    4. Yang, Yang & Cui, Yuanlai & Bai, Kaihua & Luo, Tongyuan & Dai, Junfeng & Wang, Weiguang & Luo, Yufeng, 2019. "Short-term forecasting of daily reference evapotranspiration using the reduced-set Penman-Monteith model and public weather forecasts," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 211(C), pages 70-80.
    5. Roula Khadra & Juan Antonio Sagardoy & Suzan Taha & Nicola Lamaddalena, 2017. "Participatory Irrigation Management and Transfer: Setting the Guiding Principles for a Sustaining Monitoring & Evaluation System – a Focus on the Mediterranean," Water Resources Management: An International Journal, Published for the European Water Resources Association (EWRA), Springer;European Water Resources Association (EWRA), vol. 31(13), pages 4227-4238, October.
    6. Thompson, R.B. & Gallardo, M. & Valdez, L.C. & Fernandez, M.D., 2007. "Using plant water status to define threshold values for irrigation management of vegetable crops using soil moisture sensors," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 88(1-3), pages 147-158, March.
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    1. França, Ana Carolina Ferreira & Coelho, Rubens Duarte & da Silva Gundim, Alice & de Oliveira Costa, Jéfferson & Quiloango-Chimarro, Carlos Alberto, 2024. "Effects of different irrigation scheduling methods on physiology, yield, and irrigation water productivity of soybean varieties," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 293(C).

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