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 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
AgriEngineering agriengineering	3.0	4.7	2019	20.6 Days	CHF 1600	Submit
Agronomy agronomy	3.4	6.7	2011	17.2 Days	CHF 2600	Submit
Applied Sciences applsci	2.5	5.5	2011	19.8 Days	CHF 2400	Submit
Horticulturae horticulturae	3.0	5.1	2015	17.1 Days	CHF 2200	Submit

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