WSN, APSim, and Communication Model-Based Irrigation Optimization for Horticulture Crops in Real Time

The use of wireless sensor networks, the internet of things, and advanced technologies lead to new direction of research in the agriculture domain called prescriptive agriculture. Prescriptive agriculture is the enforcement of precision agriculture, which is observing, measuring, and responding to inter and intra field variability of farm field. In this chapter, the advent of wireless sensor network, APSim, and communication model spurred a new direction in the farming domain at optimizing irrigation. Sensors are programmed to collect the datasets of climatic parameters such as relative humidity and temperature, where the datasets were forwarded to the server through a GSM module. Datasets collected were analyzed through statistical software for grown crops by considering inter and intra farm field conditions. Finally, information on irrigation is decimated through an algorithm designed by way2SMS and WebHost server.

Carbon and water footprint of coffee consumed in Finland—life cycle assessment

Purpose Coffee is one of the most widely grown cash crops globally, but there are few scientific articles on its carbon footprint and water scarcity impacts. The aim of this study was to assess the carbon footprint and water scarcity impacts throughout the life cycle of the coffee chain (cradle-to-grave) and to identify the most important sources of the impacts (hotspots). Methods The system included all the key stages of the supply chain from land use change and coffee cultivation to roasting and household consumption. Primary data was collected from eight coffee cultivation farms in Brazil, Nicaragua, Colombia and Honduras and coffee roastery and packaging manufacturers in Finland. The AWARE method was applied in a water scarcity impact assessment. Results and discussion The carbon footprint varied from 0.27 to 0.70 kg CO2 eq/l coffee. The share of the coffee cultivation stage varied from 32 to 78% and the consumption stage from 19 to 49%. The use of fertilizers was the most important process contributing to the carbon footprint. Furthermore, deforestation-related emissions notably increased the carbon footprint of coffee from Nicaragua. Compared with the previous literature, our results indicate a relatively larger share of climate impacts in the cultivation stage and less during consumption. The water scarcity impact was relatively low for non-irrigated systems in Central America, 0.02 m3 eq/l coffee. On Brazilian farms, irrigation is a major contributor to the water scarcity impact, varying from 0.15 to 0.27 m3 eq/l coffee. Conclusions Improving the management practices in cultivation and fertilization is key for lower GHG emissions. Irrigation optimization is the most important mitigation strategy to reduce water scarcity impact. However, actions to reduce these two impacts should be executed side by side to avoid shifting burdens between the two.

Irrigation Services Management Model as a Guideline for Optimizing Water Distribution in Rotational Group System

The function of irrigation as a buffer and support national food production increasingly faces various challenges. The need for food increases along with the increasing number of people who need food for their lives. Various problems can occur unexpectedly, especially when policies intersect with the interests of the community. The decline of water sources causes competition among users and even lead to vertical or horizontal conflicts therefore needed regulation for distribution of water irrigation which related to cropping patterns and water rotation. A comprehensive and integrated solution is needed through improving irrigation governance by involving technical aspects in the calculation of water optimization and non-technical aspects by involving farmer institutions. The purpose of this study is to obtain a relationship between the results of irrigation optimization and the results of institutional analysis as a guide in the implementation of water rotation. Meanwhile, the methodology used is descriptive research method in the area of irrigation. The results of this study will be obtained the guideline irrigation management system

Research of Crop Water-Saving Irrigation Optimization

According to Luoyang rainfall data from 1951 to 2011, this paper discussed the distribution characteristics of rainfall in the whole year. It analyzed summer maize growth period with the coupling of water consumption. It set up the estimation model of summer maize water consumption, the mathematical model of yield and water relationship, and then analyzed its mutual relations. The experimental results showed that the water requirement and rainfall distribution would fit well during summer maize growth. But summer maize growth stage should be irrigated suitably in the dry and median water year.