Real-time Optimization of Irrigation Scheduling for Farmlands in Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa

University of Hawaii proposes to demonstrate optimal irrigation management strategies and accomplish the following project objectives to address the issue/problem: A robust approach will be developed to optimize irrigation scheduling in intensive vegetable production systems across diverse climatic zones in the Pacific Islands. An online tool to address this issue was developed for California with high success rate (https://cropmanage.ucanr.edu). The University of Hawaii will expand on this proven technology and modify it for climates, soil types, and crops in the Pacific Islands. The objectives are to 1) develop a weather-based irrigation scheduling system to improve water use efficiency for selected vegetable crops, 2) design an online tool to enable real-time irrigation scheduling on a field-by-field basis, and 3) implement an outreach program targeting farmers and other agriculture professionals to enhance their awareness to adopt an irrigation management strategy that conserves water resources and enhances farm productivity.