Overview

• The upgraded model integrates satellite-derived soil moisture data with 1–3 week extended-range forecasts from IITM Pune to predict irrigation needs in advance.
• Field tests across 12 sub-districts in Bankura achieved 10–30 percent water savings for maize, wheat, sunflower, groundnut and sugarcane without compromising crop yields.
• Researchers employed a simplified ecohydrological framework with generalized equations that can be tailored to different regions and crop types.
• Initial trials in Nashik showed that using soil moisture sensors alone led to wasted irrigation when unexpected rainfall occurred, prompting the addition of weather forecasts.
• The project offers farmers a tool to adapt to increasingly erratic monsoons and address groundwater depletion in drought-prone areas.