Assessing the Potential Economic Viability of Precision Irrigation: A Theoretical Analysis and Pilot Empirical Evaluation

Galioto, Francesco; Raggi, Meri; Viaggi, Davide

doi:10.3390/w9120990

Cited by 14 publications

(22 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…given by each information layer is essential for selecting the most suitable technological level for each farm [5,19,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…It depends on the quality of the data (e.g., precision, trueness and timing), its total cost (e.g., investment, operation and maintenance) and the conditions of the farm (e.g., environmental, agronomic, socio-economic, and technical). Therefore, a particular technology can provide different economic and environmental results depending on the region and farm where it is used [5,18,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nevertheless, there are very few analyses focused on identifying the farm conditions that make the techniques developed in these studies profitable. Such analyses, along with a strengthening of extension services, training programs, and regional trials among other measures, would enhance farmers' capabilities to select and use technologies that help them to optimize the management of their irrigation infrastructures [18,21,24].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Trends and Challenges in Irrigation Scheduling in the Semi-Arid Area of Spain

García

Lecina²,

Ruiz-Sánchez

et al. 2020

Water

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A growing international human population and rising living standards are increasing the demand for agricultural products. Under higher pressure over natural resources, environmental concerns are increasing as well, challenging current water use decision-making processes in irrigated agriculture. Higher agricultural productivity means water should be applied more efficiently, which requires instant information on weather, soil, and plant conditions throughout the growing season. An information-based irrigation scheduling application tightened to the spatiotemporal variability of the fields is critical for enhancing the current irrigation system and making better irrigation scheduling decisions. The aim of this study is to review current irrigation scheduling methodologies based on two case studies (woody and field crops) located in semi-arid areas of Southeast Spain. We realize that optimal irrigation programming requires consistent investment in equipment, expenditure on operation and maintenance, and qualified technical and maintenance services. These technological approaches will be worthwhile in farms with low water availability, high profitability, and significant technical-economic capacity.

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“…given by each information layer is essential for selecting the most suitable technological level for each farm [5,19,21].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Trends and Challenges in Irrigation Scheduling in the Semi-Arid Area of Spain

García

Lecina²,

Ruiz-Sánchez

et al. 2020

Water

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“…Pliego's WUA includes three characteristics that are a technical challenge for the installation of a remote control system that is economically acceptable [43]: the average size of plots, the distribution of hydrants, and the geophysical space in which it is located.…”

Section: Analysis Of Smart Agri Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

Adaptation of a Traditional Irrigation System of Micro-Plots to Smart Agri Development: A Case Study in Murcia (Spain)

Chazarra-Zapata

Parras-Burgos

Arteaga³

et al. 2020

Agronomy

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Currently, water users associations (WUAs) in semi-arid areas of southeastern Spain (Murcia region) send a multitude of data supplied by sensors in the field to the cloud. The constant technological revolution offers opportunities for small farms not to be abandoned, thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT). This technology allows them to continue to manage remotely using smartphones/tablets/laptops. This new system contributes to the mitigation of climate change from several aspects: reduction of water footprint and energy consumption (in the pumps that pressurize the grid, such as in the optimization of the proposed solution, by using batteries that communicate in low radiation of electric and magnetic alternating fields (LoRad), General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), or narrowband IoT (NB-IoT), or clean energy). The analysis of these data and the incorporation of new IoT technologies facilitate the maintenance of green roofs and ensure the continuity of these farms. The direct benefit obtained is remarkable CO2 removal that prevents desertification by the abandonment of arable land. This communication shows the implementation of a Smart Agri system in areas with micro-plots (surface less than 0.5 ha) with low-cost technology based on long-range (LoRa) systems, easily maintainable by personnel with basic knowledge of automation, which transforms into a very interesting solution for regions with development roads. In addition, complex orography and difficult access are added in both physical and technological environments. The main technical limitations found in such plots are poor coverage for mobile phones and unworkable and expensive implementation by wiring or WiFi/radio systems. Currently, thanks to the Smart Agri system implemented in this WUA in Murcia, farmers can manage and control the irrigation systems in their plots from home. Then, they cannot lose their crops and respect the isolation conditions imposed by the Spanish government as a result of the alarm caused by COVID-19.

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“…Water pricing is considered to be one of the most important instruments used to affect the demand for water, as encouraged by the WFD [8,9] and by the Blueprint to Safeguard Europe's Water [10]. In fact, the "implementability" and the effectiveness of water pricing depends on several factors [11,12] and needs to take into account eventual disproportionality issues [13].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Design of Pricing Policies for the Management of Water Resources in Agriculture Under Adverse Selection

Viaggi

Galioto

Lika

2020

Water

Self Cite

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Water pricing policy for irrigated agriculture is considered as a key issue in the Water Framework Directive (WFD) implementation. The main obstacle is that a large part of the water used in agriculture is unmetered. The objective of this study is to assess the Water Authorities (WA)’s choices between different options of incentive pricing policies (IPP) and to evaluate their economic performance compared with flat rate (FR) solutions. The applied method relies on a principal-agent model under adverse selection, in which WAs are less informed than farmers about the water use costs and profits. In this respect, the paper provides a theoretical interpretation of how different information conditions, profit and cost structures contribute to affecting WAs’ pricing strategies and their ability to deal with some of the WFD principles. The study shows that, in the absence of water metering, WAs can still set up incentive pricing strategies by formulating menus of contracts that are more efficient than flat rate payments. Also, we show that, at least for cases in which there is only a small differentiation in water costs among farmers or no transaction costs, the first-best solution (the solution that yields the highest return from the use of the resource) can also be optimal under asymmetric information. The main policy recommendation is that, in the absence of water metering, a wider set of incentive pricing options should be considered, the performance of which, however, should be evaluated based on the specificities of each irrigated region.

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Assessing the Potential Economic Viability of Precision Irrigation: A Theoretical Analysis and Pilot Empirical Evaluation

Cited by 14 publications

References 33 publications

Trends and Challenges in Irrigation Scheduling in the Semi-Arid Area of Spain

Trends and Challenges in Irrigation Scheduling in the Semi-Arid Area of Spain

Adaptation of a Traditional Irrigation System of Micro-Plots to Smart Agri Development: A Case Study in Murcia (Spain)

The Design of Pricing Policies for the Management of Water Resources in Agriculture Under Adverse Selection

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