New technologies and practical approaches to improve irrigation management of open field vegetable crops

Abstract

This is a brief review about irrigation scheduling tools and water management models for efficient on-farm watering of vegetable crops under open field conditions. This is the first step required for reducing water losses due to drainage and for minimizing the risk of underground water contamination. In addition, on-farm water productivity can be optimized by employing several irrigation scheduling protocols, and this review mainly focuses on commercial applications based on previous scientific findings. New advancements in remote sensing technologies, data processing, and management offer opportunities for optimizing decision making in terms of watering regime, particularly under the absence of water quality restrictions. For reducing deep percolation of water, it is important not only to properly determine the water requirements but also to tailor the frequency of irrigation to the soil characteristics and the growth of plant roots. Soil sensors are appropriate tools for achieving this goal, and several technologies are available and compared by considering their advantages and drawbacks. Current knowledge on models for computing water requirement is also considered for an integrated irrigation scheduling that combines data from different sources from the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum. The best irrigation technologies for on-farm water application should be combined with irrigation scheduling programs based on the knowledge of soil characteristics and water requirements of local crops to minimize water contamination risks.