In a recent news article, it was reported the South-Western Kansas (U.S.A) is dealing with a significant amount of drought, with 65% of the state affected. Farmers are paying a high price for this situation, but some of them have now begun to take action thanks to ICTs. To tackle the drought, farmers in Kansas have started to use soil moisture sensors, a tool to measure the volumetric water content present in the soil.
With this technology, farmers can check how much water their crops get naturally and adjust their irrigation systems accordingly. The soil moisture sensors are useful in many other ways, as they help monitor plant stress in real time, automate irrigation, track weather data and trigger frost alarms, and eliminate fertilizer leaching.
Although the technology is relatively expensive, farmers have found out that the money saved on water quickly repays the investment. Additionally, the soil moisture sensors not only help saving water for the present-day farmer, but also help preserving the aquifer in these drought-affected areas for future generations.