Modeling Irrigation Water Requirement of Mixed Crop with Coupled Smart Irrigation System and System Dynamic Model

Water is a key component in the two biggest economic drivers of Taiwan, i.e., the semiconductor and agricultural industries. Agricultural water accounts for 70% of the total water usage of the nation. During drought situations, the allocation and utilization of agricultural water usage become an important issue where farmers pump groundwater to supply the irrigation deficit from surface water, which ultimately impacts regional groundwater levels. Thus, there is a need to find a way to address its field water consumption during droughts; one way is a smart irrigation water management system. In this study, a smart irrigation water management model coupled with a system dynamic model (VENSIM) was developed for mixed crops in Central Taiwan by reducing 50% of the planned irrigation. Results can be applied as a solution to water shortage during droughts with alternate frequent adjustment of water gates to ensure water supply to tail end users.