Abstract
Climate change, especially the trend towards global warming, will significantly affect the global hydrological cycle, leading to a general reduction of the water available for agriculture. In this scenario, it is essential that research should focus on the development of ‘water saving’ techniques and technologies. This work summarizes the methodology followed in a project for large scale implementation of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems using center pivots in corn crop. This is based on technologies for monitoring (i) soil electrical conductivity (ECa) and altimetry, (ii) soil moisture content, (iii) vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) obtained from satellite images, and automatic pivot travel speed control technologies. ECa maps were the basis for the definition of first homogeneous management zones (HMZ) in an experimental corn field of 28 ha. NDVI time-series were used to establish the subsequent HMZ and the respective dynamic prescription irrigation maps. The main result of this study was the reduction of spatial yield variability with the VRI management in 2017 compared to the conventional irrigation management. This study demonstrates how a relatively simple approach could be designed and implemented on a large scale, which represents an important and sustainable contribution to the resolution of practical farmer issues.
Highlights
Today, agricultural activity develops in a context dominated by two challenges: productivity and sustainability
Variable rate irrigation (VRI), sometimes referred to as ‘precision’ or ‘site-specific’ irrigation, which is the capacity of an irrigation system to apply different amounts of water to different areas of the field based on site-specific needs, emerges as a potential solution to increase the productivity and reduce the environmental impact of irrigated agriculture [8,9]
The homogeneous management zones (HMZ) obtained from management zones (MZ) Analyst (MZA) software were later converted into the pie slice format, suitable for pivot irrigation
Summary
Agricultural activity develops in a context dominated by two challenges: productivity and sustainability. Of the world’s cultivated area is irrigated, it is expected to produce 44% of world food by 2050 [1] This scenario gains greater importance when climate variability, regulatory nutrient management, water conservation policies, and declining sources of compound challenges faces irrigated crop production [2]. Variable rate irrigation (VRI), sometimes referred to as ‘precision’ or ‘site-specific’ irrigation, which is the capacity of an irrigation system to apply different amounts of water to different areas of the field based on site-specific needs, emerges as a potential solution to increase the productivity and reduce the environmental impact of irrigated agriculture [8,9]. The objective of this case study is to evaluate automatic center pivot travel speed control for dynamic management of irrigation in corn (Zea mays L.) based on technologies that monitor (i) soil electrical conductivity (ECa ), (ii) yield maps, (iii) soil moisture, and (iv) vegetation indices
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