Tropical weather is unpredictable, but a new tool could help farmers get a better grasp on it.
irrigation
GPS Observations Sense Groundwater Change in Australia
By exploiting the fact that changes in groundwater cause deformations of the Earth’s surface, GPS receivers are used to detect groundwater changes related to extreme events and to seasonal oscillations.
Irrigation in Indo-Gangetic Plain Has Little Impact on Heat Stress
Irrigation-related cooling during summer months is overestimated by roughly 5 times, highlighting the need for climate models to accurately reflect local agricultural practices.
Ancient Maya Made Widespread Changes to Wetland Landscape
A system of canals 2 millennia old sustained a local population after the collapse of its neighbors, and it continues to affect local ecology today.
Can Satellites Fill Gaps in Agricultural Water Monitoring?
Past studies that have estimated irrigation water usage based on satellite remote sensing have had large uncertainties that could hamper effective water management.
Minireservorios Podrían Salvar a Agricultores con Suelos Arenosos
Una tecnología de retención de agua subterránea recientemente reactivada podría conservar el agua y aumentar drásticamente el rendimiento de los cultivos en paisajes áridos con suelos arenosos como el África Subsahariana.
Machine Learning Predicts Subsidence from Groundwater Pumping
Machine learning and data on aquifer type, sediment thickness, and proxies for irrigation water use has been used to produce the most comprehensive map of land subsidence in the western U.S. to date.
Minireservoirs Could Save Farmers with Sandy Soils
A recently revived subsurface water retention technology could conserve water and drastically increase crop yields in arid landscapes with sandy soils like sub-Saharan Africa.
Massive Scale Evaporative Water Losses from Irrigation
Evaporation can demonstrate the effects of crop irrigation on decadal trends in evapotranspiration at a regional spatial extent.
Growing More with Less Using Cell Phones and Satellite Data
Researchers from the University of Washington and Pakistan are using 21st century technology to revive farming as a profitable profession in the Indus Valley.