Work

Optimal irrigation scheduling for sustainable agriculture: Minimising energy costs in rotational management

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Water scarcity, intensified by climate change and growing agricultural demand, is a significant challenge, particularly in irrigation. Modern irrigation systems have improved water efficiency but also increased energy consumption, a concern with rising energy prices impacting farmers. While considerable research has focused on optimising energy use in on-demand irrigation systems, rotational management systems remain under-researched. These systems, essential in regions with limited water resources or infrastructure constraints, have received insufficient attention, particularly concerning the optimisation of irrigation schedule to enhance cost efficiency. This study addresses this gap by proposing a methodology for optimising weekly irrigation schedule in rotational management, taking into account branch capacity and critical pump nodes while aligning pumping schedules with lower electricity costs. Implemented in an irrigation network in South Tyrol, Italy, the methodology uses Particle Swarm Optimisation and network sectoring to optimise irrigation sequences and achieve more cost-effective operations. The results demonstrate that the implementation of an optimised irrigation schedule in scenarios characterised by higher electricity prices leads to significant savings. The analysis revealed cost reduction across all scenarios, ranging from 19.8% to 36.8%. This finding suggests that farmers and network managers should prioritise energy-efficient irrigation scheduling during periods of elevated energy costs. Moreover, the results emphasise the importance of integrating energy market considerations into irrigation strategies and highlight the necessity for tools that assist operators in making informed decisions.

Source: Agricultural Water Management

DOI: 10.1016/j.agwat.2025.109986

Authors: Francesca Peretti, Andrea Menapace, Ariele Zanfei, Maurizio Righetti

Institutions: Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Eurac Research

Language: English

Topic: Water Systems and Optimization

Subfield: Civil and Structural Engineering

Field: Engineering

Domain: Physical Sciences

SDGs: Affordable and clean energy, Zero hunger, Industry, innovation and infrastructure, Climate action

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,070