Research project Rice remote monitoring: climate change resilience and agronomical management practices for regional adaptation
General introduction
Colombian rice plants can achieve the same yield with 50% less irrigation by mapping the water status of the plants using drones and satellites and handling this data accordingly. This is a result of the research project RICECLIMAREMOTE, which ILVO carried out together with UNIBAGUE and AGROSAVIA (Colombia). The objective was to build knowledge and apply targeted irrigation control to rice cultivation in Tolima. In this region, a quarter of Colombia's rice is grown with irrigation water from the Coello irrigation district. Local farmers did not know the effective water demand of their crop adequately, resulting in excessive irrigation. This leads not only to water shortages during the growing season, but also to high emissions of methane, a major greenhouse gas.
Research approach
The use of remote sensing through drone technology and satellite imagery, combined with machine learning and crop modeling, was new to local agricultural stakeholders. This complemented the knowledge and irrigation infrastructure already in place. With the scientific insights gained, the partners set to work to formulate new, more informed practical guidelines for farmers in the region. Through workshops, the local government was also made more aware of the importance of preparing for the effects of climate change. Climate models predict that Colombia falls into the "very vulnerable" category. The area of land suitable for growing rice is expected to shrink by as much as 60% due to a changed rainfall pattern. Appropriate irrigation in rice cultivation is therefore strongly recommended.
Relevance/Valorization
The findings from this project can increase the likelihood of stable harvests in a changing climate, which also increases the financial resilience of local farms. Local farmers and governments appeared insufficiently aware of the severity of climate change for their local rice production chain.
By carrying out this project in consultation with local growers and governments (UsoCoello, among others), RICECLIMAREMOTE succeeded in realizing, in addition to the practical implementation of a better irrigation strategy, local anchoring of these climate adaptation strategies.
