LIFE AFTER THE FLOOD: DISRUPTING RICE FARMING BY INTEGRATING AUTOMATED, IOT-IRRIGATION TECHNOLOGIES INTO A LOW-WATER-USE PRODUCTION SYSTEM

Our long-term goal is to enhance the resilience of irrigated agriculture in the LMRB by developing productive and profitable low-water-use, row-crop production systems that will be adopted by producers. The overall objective for this project, which is the next step toward our long-term goal, is to determine the effects of integrating automated, IoT-irrigation technologies into an AWD rice production system on water use, rice productivity, and economic viability. The central hypothesis for this project is that combining these tools with a low-water-use system will decrease water applied while maintaining or improving rice grain yield, seed quality, and net returns across a range of climatic conditions, soil textures, and farm management philosophies.This hypothesis was formulated based on research in which AWD decreased water applied while having no adverse effect on yield or net returns on fine-textured soils. Our interdisciplinary team comprised of agronomists, hydrologists, agricultural economists, and irrigation engineers from Mississippi State University, University of Arkansas, and USDA-ARS is uniquely qualified to successfully complete this research. We have seven years of AWD experience and conducted the foundational work for the establishment of safe AWD for fine-textured soils in Mississippi.Moreover, we have cultivated a network of over 20 stakeholders in the LMRB who are willing to implement AWD production systems for this study.We plan to address our central hypothesis by pursuing the following specific objectives:1. Quantify the effects of integrating automated, IoT-irrigation technologies with AWDwater management on rice productivity, seed quality, and water applied. The workingProject Narrative2hypothesis, based on our preliminary research, is that automating irrigation in AWD rice will decrease water applied while maintaining or improving rice grain yield and seed quality across a range of environments common to the LMRB.Determine the economic viability of coupling automated, IoT-irrigation technologies with AWD water management for environments common to the LMRB. The working hypothesis, based on our preliminary research, is that automating irrigation in AWD rice will be economically feasible for producers because the decrease in water use and/or increase in yield will offset the costs of additional technologies across a range of environments common to the LMRB.Deliver Extension programming that stimulates the adoption and proper implementation of low-water-use rice production systems and technologies.The premise for this aim is that by delivering research-based, Extension programming we will increase producer awareness about AWD rice production systems and reduce their concerns about this novel conservation practice. Consequently, we will see increased adoption of a low-water-use rice production system that improves rice productivity, on-farm profitability, and aquifer sustainability.