Impact of IoT-Enabled Variable Irrigation and Fertigation Rates on the Growth, Yield, and Economics of Grand Nain Bananas

Abstract

Bananas is the largest global production of all fruit crops and continue to play a key role in the economies of many developing countries. Banana cultivation is resource-intensive, consuming a lot of water and fertilizer. IoT-enabled precision farming has the potential to improve Grand Nain productivity by reducing input usage while still maintaining its economic viability as a cash crop. In this regard, there is a need to develop a banana cultivation package of practice that leverages the efficiencies gained by adopting IoT and sensor technologies to automate irrigation. This study aims to determine the most suitable irrigation and NPK fertigation strategy to minimize input use while maximizing profitability. This study includes three variable irrigation treatments based on soil water potential thresholds (-50, -100, -150 kPa) and three fertigation treatments (50%, 75%, 100% RDF) along with a control strategy that is based on the ICAR-NRCB recommended irrigation and 100% RDF fertigation schedules. The strategy with the − 50 kPa irrigation treatment and the 50% RDF of NPK fertigation treatment (I3F3) consumed 73% less water and 50% less NPK fertilizer, resulting in 12% less yield compared to the control strategy. However, the benefit-to-cost ratio of the I3F3 strategy was 1.61 versus the control strategy at 1.49. In the current agricultural paradigm, where soil degradation, water scarcity, and volatile market prices are impacting farmers' livelihoods, the I3F3 strategy ensures a more consistently profitable approach while significantly reducing water and NPK fertilizer usage, resulting in lower economic risks to farmers.