Location: Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research
Project Number: 5070-13610-009-005-S
Project Type: Non-Assistance Cooperative Agreement
Start Date: May 1, 2026
End Date: Sep 30, 2028
Objective:
Develop and evaluate digital agriculture sensing and decision-support technology to improve profitability and sustainability of producers of Southeast Missouri and the rest of the humid Mid-South.
Approach:
Research will be conducted by cooperator in cooperation with local producers. Specifically, the project will:
• Complete research documenting variability in crop coefficients for cotton irrigation as a function of variety and spatial soil variability.
• Combine soil apparent electrical conductivity (ECa) and in-situ soil moisture sensing data to create field-scale maps of changes in crop water availability through the growing season.
• Evaluate new approaches to digitally-controlled irrigation management.
• Combine remote sensing and AI-based modeling to address management needs in Mid-South production systems.