In Jordan, demonstrated the successful farmer use of low-cost, precision irrigation tool
We showed the tool’s potential to use up to 44% less water compared to conventional practices
Research contributions
Showed participants responded correctly to 93% of irrigation events using tool
Observed that events most frequently fell within 15% of scheduled durations; tool enabled schedule-following over time
Demonstrated a low-cost way to realize precision irrigation by keeping farmers in the loop
Characterized existing and new features that participants found valuable
Measured similar water use to fully manual irrigation; expect future water savings (29–44% less water used)
Related publications
Van de Zande, G.D., Sheline, C., Pratt, S., and Winter V, A.G. “User-Centered Validation of an Automatic Scheduling-Manual Operation (AS-MO) Irrigation Tool: A Case Study in Jordan.” Proceedings of the ASME IDETC/CIE. Washington, D.C., USA. August 25–28, 2024. [PDF]
Sheline, C., Grant, F., Gelmini, S., Van de Zande, G.D., Pratt, S., Winter V, A.G. “Field Validation of Predictive Optimal Water and Energy Irrigation (POWEIr) Controller Theory.” [In preparation, 2025]
My prior research found that resource-constrained farmers could be served by a semi-manual/semi-automatic irrigation system that uses automatic scheduling of irrigation events with manual valve operation (AS-MO). This project tested a functional AS-MO tool prototype, asking:
How does an AS-MO tool function, from human-centered and water-saving perspectives?
