The use of intelligent/autonomous systems in crop irrigation

Publication date: 29/06/2019
Extent: 24 pages

Contributions by: Stefano Carpin, University of California-Merced, USA; Ken Goldberg, University of California- Berkeley, USA; Stavros Vougioukas, University of California-Davis, USA; Ron Berenstein, University of California-Berkeley, USA; and Josh Viers, University of California-Merced, USA

Chapter synopsis: Climate change, combined with the need to feed an increasing population with decreasing arable land, requires to radically re-think the way water is delivered to crops to increase efficiency and minimize wasted water. This chapter examines how robotic and artificial intelligence can be used to improve precision irrigation in vineyards. The chapter pays particular attention to robot-assisted precision irrigation delivery (RAPID), a novel system currently being developed and tested at the University of California. The chapter presents preliminary results from RAPID testing and looks ahead to future research trends in this area.

DOI: 10.19103/AS.2019.0056.11