Assessing Crop Water Requirements and a Case for Renewable-Energy-Powered Pumping System for Wheat, Cotton, and Sorghum Crops in Sudan

Abstract

Climate change is changing global weather patterns, with an increase in droughts expected to impact crop yields due to water scarcity. Crops can be provided with water via underground pumping systems to mitigate water shortages. However, the energy required to pump water tends to be expensive and hazardous to the environment. This paper explores different sites in Sudan to assess the crop water requirements as the first stage of developing renewable energy sources based on water pumping systems. The crop water requirements are calculated for different crops using the CROPWAT and CLIMWAT simulation tools from the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations. Further, the crop water requirements are translated into electrical energy requirements. Accurate calculations of the energy needed will help in developing cost-effective energy systems that can help in improving yields and reducing carbon emissions. The results suggest that the northern regions tend to have higher energy demands and that the potential for renewable energy should be explored in these regions, which are more susceptible to drought and where crops tend to be under higher stress due to adverse climate conditions.

Prospects of Hybrid Energy in Saudi Arabia, Exploring Irrigation Application in Shaqra

“…Each crop will have its own crop coefficient, and the crop water requirement is evaluated individually. The term crop water requirement refers to the amount of water required to maintain the requisite moisture level in the soil by supplying the water lost through evapotranspiration (ETc) [20]. Therefore, the crop water requirement is the ETc through different seasons.…”

“…The renewables are used at many levels in the power system, for example for planning and design [9], solar energy-related greenhouses [10], solar hydrogen [11], off-grid and on-grid optimization [12,13], and irrigation for very small and farms [13][14][15]. In addition, most of the previous studies on renewable-based irrigation are focused on solar energy and in a specific geographic location such as Namibia [16], Jordan [17], India [18], Saharan Africa [19], and Sudan [20][21][22].…”

Assessment of Wind and Solar Hybrid Energy for Agricultural Applications in Sudan

“…Finally, monthly energy data are used to design the optimum renewable energy system for the selected site using HOMER software. A detailed study on the crop water requirement is presented in Part I of this paper [12]. The software commonly known as HOMER stands for Hybrid Optimization of Multiple Energy Resources (HOMER), and is used to optimize the use of multiple energy sources.…”

“…A sensitivity analysis of the area for agricultural use and load was carried out, and a direct correlation between the energy use, peak load and the area of agriculture was observed. and seasons is given in Part I of the paper, which was published separately [12]. A sensitivity analysis of the area for agricultural use and load was carried out, and a direct correlation between the energy use, peak load and the area of agriculture was observed.…”

“…For example, all of the sites show a very high energy demand in September, and thus the overall energy consumption from all of the sites combined is more than 400 kWh in September. A detailed discussion on the cropping patterns and seasons is given in Part I of the paper, which was published separately[12]. A sensitivity analysis of the area for agricultural use and load was carried out, and a direct correlation between the energy use, peak load and the area of agriculture was observed.Figure 8.…”