Precision Irrigation Scheduling Based on Wireless Soil Moisture Sensors to Improve Water Use Efficiency and Yield for Winter Wheat in Sub-Saharan Africa

Abstract

In Sub-Saharan Africa, where most irrigation systems are manually operated, water allocation and irrigation scheduling are often based on uniform application irrespective of crop needs and growth stages, which results in nonoptimal water use. Recently, a lot of research has been carried out to improve irrigation water use efficiency through automation by employing wireless sensor-based monitoring systems. Further to the improvement of water use efficiency and yield, while reducing costs, a field trial was carried out at a farm in Harare, Zimbabwe, during the 2016, 2017, and 2018 winter seasons to test whether a new approach to the automated irrigation systems, one based on IoT and wirelessly connected soil sensors (called hereafter as WCSS), improves water use efficiency without reducing yield. WCSS method was compared with three widely used conventional irrigation methods, that is, manual scheduling, tensiometer-based scheduling, and weather-based scheduling. Impacts on water savings and yield of winter wheat crops under drip irrigation were evaluated. WCSS saved up to 25% more water compared to typical fixed irrigation schedule rates used by wheat growers during the winter season.