Irrigation & water management

Irrigation is the largest consumer of freshwater globally. It is a land-intensification practice that supplies water to crops when soil moisture is insufficient due to coarse texture or shortfall rainfall. In water management and hydrology, quantifying evapotranspiration and scheduling irrigation remain central questions for efficient water use under increasing climatic pressures and other water demands. Similarly, research into rooting depths and drought tolerance is key to understand crop water availability. Modern methods such as drip irrigation and partial root zone drying optimize water use while maintaining crop yields. Water balance modelling, crop-soil-water nexus approaches and thermal remote sensing show huge potential for precision scheduling from leaf to regional scale.

We provide knowledge about: 

• Remote-sensing based estimation of actual evapotranspiration and irrigation scheduling
• High resolution water balance modelling and crop water use efficiency from leaf to agroecosystem
• Advanced non-destructive root development monitoring methodologies for in situ studies
• Added value of machine-/deep-learning models in irrigations science and water balance modelling
• Scale issues in hydrology and coordinated nexus studies with carbon and nitrogen cycles
• Guiding students to solve irrigation/evapotranspiration problems through hands-on research and critical thinking

We carry out: 

• Semi-field experiments with controlled water balance and drought treatments
• Field experiments with ability to induce drought and monitor root growth in depth
• Leaf- to agroecosystem modelling of water, carbon and nitrogen balances
• Regional and large-scale hydrology and nexus studies
• MSc courses in hydrology and agroecosystem modelling