Smart Irrigation and Crop Management: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture

Topic Information

Dear Colleagues,

Smart irrigation integrates real-time monitoring, automation, remote sensing, and decision-support tools to optimise water use according to crop needs, soil conditions, and weather variability. When combined with data-driven crop management, these technologies enable informed decisions, lower inputs, and greater sustainability. This Topic invites contributions including, but not limited to, the following aspects:

Sensor-based irrigation scheduling and automation enable dynamic and spatially precise water management. Contributions addressing sensor integration, control algorithms, and field validation of automated irrigation systems are encouraged.

Remote sensing and Earth observation provide powerful means to assess crop water status and irrigation performance over large spatial domains. Papers linking satellite data with ground observations to improve irrigation decision-making are valued.

Decision support systems and digital platforms are key to turning complex data into actionable irrigation insights. Submissions on DSS development, validation, and implementation, including web-based tools, are welcome.

Integration of big data and AI in irrigation management supports predictive and adaptive scheduling. Studies employing ML and data assimilation control are encouraged, particularly those addressing transparency and transferability.

Soil–plant–atmosphere sensing and modelling support adaptive water management. Emphasis is placed on studies integrating real-time sensing with modelling to enhance irrigation precision.

Integration of irrigation and fertilisation through precision fertigation improves efficiency and sustainability. Studies optimising water and nutrient use while reducing environmental losses are appreciated.

IoT and wireless sensor networks enable real-time data acquisition and control in smart irrigation. Research focusing on scalable, energy-efficient, and interoperable digital infrastructures is encouraged.

Participatory approaches in technology adoption are essential for implementation. Studies addressing stakeholder engagement, co-design methodologies, and innovation pathways are particularly valued.

We welcome both theoretical and applied research, including experimental studies, case studies, and reviews that provide insights into the future of smart irrigation and data-driven crop management.

Dr. Maria do Rosario Cameira
Dr. João Rolim
Topic Editors

Keywords

Participating Journals

Journal Name	Impact Factor	CiteScore	Launched Year	First Decision (median)	APC
Agriculture agriculture	3.6	6.3	2011	18.8 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
AgriEngineering agriengineering	3.0	4.7	2019	22 Days	CHF 1800	Submit
Agronomy agronomy	3.4	6.7	2011	17 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Applied Sciences applsci	2.5	5.5	2011	16 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Horticulturae horticulturae	3.0	5.1	2015	16.7 Days	CHF 2200	Submit
Water water	3.0	6.0	2009	18.9 Days	CHF 2600	Submit

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Published Papers (2 papers)

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All Agriculture AgriEngineering Agronomy Applied Sciences Horticulturae Water

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29 pages, 2697 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Integrating Solar Radiation Dynamics into Irrigation System Design: An Asymmetric-Sector Approach for Mediterranean Orchards

by João Rolim, Beatriz Vacas, Carolina Silva, Olívio Patrício and Maria do Rosário Cameira

Agriculture 2026, 16(7), 744; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16070744 - 27 Mar 2026

Viewed by 450

Abstract

The adoption of photovoltaic (PV) energy in irrigation is rapidly increasing, supported by a range of available technologies. However, an agronomic perspective that could help overcome inherent limitations of PV systems remains absent. In fact, current irrigation design methods do not explicitly take [...] Read more.

The adoption of photovoltaic (PV) energy in irrigation is rapidly increasing, supported by a range of available technologies. However, an agronomic perspective that could help overcome inherent limitations of PV systems remains absent. In fact, current irrigation design methods do not explicitly take into account the dynamic nature of PV power generation. While irrigation engineering conceptualises soil as a reservoir for plant-available water, it can also function as an energy reservoir, storing solar-derived energy in the form of soil moisture for subsequent crop use. Building on this concept, this study proposes an integrated framework for designing off-grid PV irrigation systems based on asymmetric irrigation sectors. The framework couples hydrological, agronomic, and energy components to synchronise solar energy generation with crop water requirements, thereby eliminating the need for intermediate energy storage. The methodology was applied to two case studies: a hedgerow olive orchard and an almond orchard in southern Portugal, both with drip irrigation. Results demonstrate that the asymmetric-sector design provides a technically feasible and low-complexity solution for integrating photovoltaic energy into irrigation systems. The conventional irrigation system required 1.42 kW of minimum pumping power for olive orchards and 1.32 kW for almond orchards. The dimensions of the main lines ranged from 97.8 mm for olive and 75 mm for almond orchards, while the flow rate of the emitter was 2.3 L h⁻¹ for olive and 3 L h⁻¹ for almond orchards. Although PV-compatible operation required hydraulic adjustments including increases in design flow rate (226–255%), pump power demand (87.5–241%), and pipe diameters (up to 120% in olive and 75% in almond), these adaptations enable irrigation systems to operate under the variability inherent to solar-based energy supply. This hydraulic oversizing leads to higher initial investment costs; however, this can be mitigated to a certain extent by diminished operating costs and complete energy autonomy from the electricity grid. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Smart Irrigation and Crop Management: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture)

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25 pages, 3204 KB  

Open AccessArticle

Effects of Irrigation Regimes on Khalas Date Palm Yield Under Surface and Enhanced Subsurface Irrigation Systems with Smart Control Application

by A. W. Abdelhadi, Laurens Bierens, Joost van der Gaag, Fadia Tashtoush, Salwa Al-thawadi, Mona A. Aziz Aljar, Gul Shahzada Khan and Ebtisam Bin Butti

Agriculture 2026, 16(5), 609; https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture16050609 - 6 Mar 2026

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Abstract

The date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. is an essential desert food crop. A study was conducted for two years to determine Khalas palm variety yield response to different irrigation regimes. Bubbler system (BS) and enhanced subsurface stonewool drip system (ESDS) were tested in [...] Read more.

The date palm Phoenix dactylifera L. is an essential desert food crop. A study was conducted for two years to determine Khalas palm variety yield response to different irrigation regimes. Bubbler system (BS) and enhanced subsurface stonewool drip system (ESDS) were tested in the Kingdom of Bahrain during the period of 2021–2023. A split-plot design was used with BS and ESDS as main plots. Irrigation regimes of 20, 30, and 50% (D2–D3) as subplots compared with crop water requirements (D1) based on Penman Monteith FAO method (PMFM). A smart volume-based control system was used in the 2nd year. The results revealed no significant differences in date yield, average weight of bunches, and soft fruits (Rutab) percent between the BS and ESDS systems (p > 0.05). No significant yield differences were obtained between the irrigation regimes at p > 0.05. Water productivity was highly significant (p = 0.0003 and 0.0001) regarding irrigation regimes for the two years, respectively. Compared to 1st year, the 2nd year yield has improved by 78.5 and 53.5% under ESDS and BS systems, respectively. Apart from seasonal palm yield variations, smart application has the most impact on yield improvement. It is concluded that published palm K_C coefficients may overestimate water requirements by about 50%. More water saving can be attained using smart volume-control application under BS or ESDS systems. It is vital to develop local crop coefficients for date palms under desert and humid climatic conditions similar to Bahrain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Topic Smart Irrigation and Crop Management: Towards Sustainable and Resilient Agriculture)

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