The Parched Fields: AI to the Rescue as Farmers Battle Drought
AI's potential role in helping farmers tackle the drought predicament
The scorching sun blazes above, baking the dry earth — farms across the land crave nourishing rain as climate change takes a toll. Spring has sprung, but the rainfall has been shockingly scarce this year. The lack of precipitation is causing headaches for farmers in various regions — especially those in the northern parts of the country where they've barely seen rain droplets. Frank Schiffner, a crop expert from the Mecklenburg-Vorpommern farmers' association, describes the situation as dire: "We're at around 60 liters per square meter on average last month. That's less than a third of what we'd typically see in spring."
The dry spell has hit hardest in the north, with fewer than ten percent of expected rainfall in some areas — drying up water reserves deep underground. This will have consequences, Schiffner warns: "We're seeing smaller grains in the ears, side shoots and pods are underdeveloped, and growth is stagnating. The quality and quantity of yield could take a hit, unfortunately."
Katrin Drastig, who works at the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Technology and Bioeconomics in Potsdam, agrees: "If it doesn't rain soon, we could face uneven growth, patchy stands, and possibly lower yields." But the good news is that it's not all bad news yet for the 2025 harvest. The damp years of 2023 and 2024 did help to retain water in the soil, as did proper soil preparation by Farmers.
Smart Farming to the Rescue
In a rapidly changing climate, old farming methods simply won't cut it anymore. "Our water reserves are decreasing, and the rainfall patterns are shifting," says Drastig. "There's less rain in the spring and the summer, and even increased winter rainfall doesn't necessarily help." In dry years, the only help for farmers might be irrigation. Still, the challenges aren't insignificant: most farmers lack the necessary technical equipment and water rights, and simply pumping water can cost quite a bit — in terms of money and energy.
But there is a solution: Artificial Intelligence (AI). "AI is an emerging market, with many researchers currently working on developing it for irrigation," says Drastig. Precision irrigation systems use AI algorithms to analyze weather forecasts, soil moisture sensors, and crop specific water needs to optimize irrigation schedules and water quantities. With the help of big data and machine learning, these systems adjust water delivery in real-time, taking into account the specific demands of each crop.
But, the future farm landscape may look quite different too: more drought-resistant crops may be in the cards. "Expanding crop rotations with more drought-tolerant plants could be key to a more resilient agricultural system in Europe," Drastig suggests. "We might even consider earlier crops and cover crops that thrive in dry conditions, like chickpeas."
Source: ntv.de
- Agriculture
- Extreme Weather
- Drought
- Artificial Intelligence
Additional Insights
- AI-driven irrigation systems help farmers save enormous amounts of water by calculating the optimal amount and timing of irrigation based on weather, soil, and crop conditions.
- In dry areas, AI-powered monitoring tools can detect leaks and inefficiencies in irrigation infrastructure to reduce water loss.
- Decision support platforms use satellite data, historical weather data, and soil analyses to simulate and recommend planting and irrigation strategies that maximize yield while minimizing water use.
- Autonomous machinery and drones enabled by AI reduce labor requirements for watering, weeding, and spraying, leading to more precise resource application and efficient management under drought conditions.
- Predictive analytics powered by AI can help farmers identify suitable periods for planting drought-tolerant crop varieties and adjust their crop cycles to anticipate water scarcity. AI also facilitates the detection of early signs of crop stress, disease, and pest infestations, allowing faster interventions that minimize crop losses during drought conditions.
- As more data is collected, AI will enable farmers to efficiently store and process vast amounts of information, leading to informed irrigation decisions and better water management practices.
- In the face of decreasing water reserves and shifting rainfall patterns due to climate change, artificial intelligence (AI) is being hailed as a potential solution for efficient irrigation by optimizing water usage based on weather, soil, and crop conditions.
- With the help of AI, decision support platforms can simulate and suggest planting and irrigation strategies that minimize water use while maximizing yield, providing farmers with valuable insights for drought-prone regions.
- To combat the impact of extreme weather such as drought, the expansion of crop rotations with drought-tolerant plants, like chickpeas, could lead to a more resilient and sustainable European agricultural system, as suggested by Katrin Drastig from the Leibniz Institute for Agricultural Technology and Bioeconomics in Potsdam.
