Low-Cost Smart Farm Irrigation Systems in Kherson Province: Feasibility Study

Abstract

The growth of the world population requires an increase in food production. Its solution requires the introduction of advanced technologies, including automated irrigation systems. Commercially available smart irrigation systems are not widespread because of their high cost. A low-cost smart irrigation system based on satellite monitoring is proposed to schedule irrigation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the smart irrigation system during five-year field experiments. Water-use productivity, irrigated water-use productivity, and payback period were used as indicators to evaluate the low-cost irrigation system. This study was carried out for four crops: wheat, corn, sunflower, and rapeseed. The results obtained were compared to conventional irrigation systems. The experiments were designed at five farms locations. Their results showed that average water-use productivity rose from 4.09% (wheat) to 9.8% (sunflower). An increase in yields varied from 5.72% (wheat) to 13.42% (corn). Corn had a maximum yield deviation (26.72%). The payback period depended on the crop variety and the plot area. The payback period for wheat production under the proposed system was the longest (up to 82 months). Payback periods for corn, sunflower, and rapeseed production were shorter (from 3 to 12 months). Therefore, the smart irrigation system provides advantages and can be recommended as a low-cost solution.