Monitoring groundwater using energy water smart meters and precision irrigation

Excessive groundwater pumping is a global problem which severely affects the dry areas where surface water is scant or inexistent. The coastal areas of Oman are primarily concerned because groundwater over-pumping results in seawater intrusion and causes degradation of the unique renewable water resource. Despite the implementation of several measures, such as the diffusion of water-saving technology, building recharge dams, freezing on drilling new wells, encouraging the re-use of treated wastewater for landscaping and transferring the large producers of Rhodes grass to Nejed area, groundwater levels continue to decline and seawater intrusion is steadily progressing in most of the coastal areas. Groundwater is a common resource pool characterized by the absence of exclusivity and the lack of incentives for farmers to save water due to the open access natural of the resource. Several experiences around the world have shown that raising farmers awareness, stakeholders participation, introduction of modern irrigation technologies have very limited impact on the depletion and quality degradation of groundwater. Pricing irrigation groundwater is politically infeasible as is the case of increasing electricity prices. Some countries such the USA, Australia and Jordan have introduced groundwater metering and allocated groundwater as to farmers. However, a study done by Zekri (2008) showed that flow water metering is highly expensive and an increase of 250% in electricity price only for the agricultural sector will be necessary to curve down the groundwater pumping. Both above mentioned solutions are considered unfeasible. Given the fact that we have a common resource pool the best solution is to allocate groundwater shares or a to each farmer according to the farm size and historical cropped area. Zekri (2009) proposed a cost-efficient solution to this problem through the introduction of pre-paid electricity meters and the conversion of the water a into an electricity a. The new technological developments allow a better solution due to the availability in the market of Intelligent Energy Water Meters (Moazedi, 2011). This avoids any conversion of the electricity a into a water a. In fact, the new type of meter allows measuring the volume of groundwater pumped. Quite often decision makers assume that farmers ignore the real causes of seawater intrusion. However, an interview with 120 farmers (Zekri and Naifer, 2009) showed that most farmers are quite aware that over-pumping is the major cause of groundwater depletion and quality degradation. Furthermore, 57% of farmers agreed on the need to implement the water a system provided that groundwater should be free, the allocated a should cover the crops water requirement and that the a should be enforced on all users without favoritism. This proposal follows the recommendation of Ibri s Conference on the necessity to implement the demand management policies in the agricultural sector to reduce the groundwater deficit (Sustainable Agricultural Development Conference). The current proposal considers the introduction of Intelligent Energy Water Meters, addresses the issue of the volume of water to allocate to each farmer to make sure that there will be no economic losses due to the water a. Besides, the proposal proposes the introduction of precision irrigation and fertilization technology via the use of moisture and conductivity sensors to ensure that farmers meet the crop water requirement with the a. Precision ferti-gation will boost productivity and profitability and ensure sustainability of small size farms. Adoption of precision irrigation will create jobs for graduates, increase supply and export of vegetables and monitoring groundwater to avoid further seawater intrusion. The project will be conducted at a pilot scale in collaboration with Batinah s Farmers Association members, Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries and Ministry of Regional Municipalities and Water Resources. This will facilitate the experiment and spread the adoption by other farmers once the project is achieved. Fifity farms will be selected based on their size, type of soil, type of crop (plantations including palm trees; vegetables and forages), and salinity of the irrigation water they use. The selection will be done from a list of farms who already have signed contracts with MAF to allow monitoring and communication of data, based on the fact that the farmers have beneffited from subsidies for irrigation system. Half of the farms will be equipped with a precision fertigation system and smart meters. The remaining 25 farms will be equipped only with the smart energy water meters and will be used as point of reference towards which changes in water use, yield and profitability will be measured. The project will revolve between analytical and applied research, and will find the solutions implementing the state of the art of fertigation technology in pilot farms which will benefit students in learning new technological knowhow, will improve financial benefits to farmers, and in overall will ensure farming sustainability by proper groundwater management.