The project aims to draw up drought maps and link concrete follow-up operations to them, such as variable planting/sowing/irrigation/fertilisation.
In the context of the drought/heat problem we have been facing more and more in recent years, and to which the likelihood will only increase in the future, this project wants to focus on drought-sensitive crops, especially maize and potatoes. However, the impact of drought varies greatly between plots and there can also be differences at plot level. Hence, the present project attempts to visualise these distinctions for the farmer by preparing drought maps. For this purpose, freely accessible farm management systems are being considered. For instance, Sentinel-2 satellite images are freely available to the grower through WatchITgrow, among other channels. Interpreting these images during periods of drought should lead to better delineation of drought-prone zones in the plot. Growers with water resources can respond to these effects by targeted irrigation but for the majority of potato and maize growers this is not the case. In the present project, drought maps will be prepared in a first phase and then crop management will be adjusted accordingly.
Here, the focus will be on techniques that are widely applicable, such as variable potato planting and variable maize sowing where planting or sowing is done further apart in drought-prone zones using satellite images of dry/past years. When irrigation in potatoes is the common practice, variable watering can also be considered.
Furthermore, soil quality also deserves due attention, whereby, in the context of drought problems, the carbon/humus content of the soil in view of its contribution to water management and techniques to (variably) optimise it will be examined. In this context, more compost or other soil improvers will be applied in drought-prone areas.
Fertilisation is also a concern in the context of drought and requires an adapted approach, as the drought sensitivity of crops also implies a known issue of nitrate residues.
