Google and Arable collaborate in bringing a water stewardship solution
Arable, active in climate-smart agriculture, announced a collaboration with Google aimed at accelerating the adoption of agricultural technology that promotes water conservation and crop productivity simultaneously. The collaboration will equip farmers in Nebraska (USA) with Arable’s crop intelligence solution to facilitate data-driven decision-making that enhances irrigation precision.
Persistent extreme drought, caused by rising temperatures and prolonged heat waves can strain groundwater, surface water, and soil moisture. Projections indicate that climate change could triple the rate of water depletion. The potential consequences would be dire for agriculture, with 40% of global production depending on unsustainable groundwater extraction. The Google-Arable collaboration addresses these challenges by supporting sustainable water management practices that bolster agricultural resilience amidst a changing climate.
To enable this innovative initiative, Google provided funding to support the widespread deployment of the Arable system across 25,000 acres in the Twin Platte Natural Resources District (TPNRD). Participating farmers were identified by the team at the TPNRD and Arable executed the deployments of its technology throughout the region. Arable will also provide training and support to ensure growers value and will monitor the overall program’s progress against its objectives.
Optimize water use
Arable’s solution empowers growers to optimize water use by capturing and synthesizing weather, crop, soil and irrigation data from within the field and then transforming that data into actionable insights accessible via mobile and web apps. Armed with real-time visibility into the unique water requirements of their crops, growers can minimize water consumption while maximizing crop health throughout the growing season.
By empowering farmers to make data-driven decisions, this partnership will support the agricultural community’s ongoing efforts to optimize water use while ensuring food security for a growing population. In addition to the water conservation benefits, the project is expected to result in significant savings in electricity and diesel fuel consumption, reducing carbon dioxide emissions. Furthermore, the decreased groundwater pumping will lead to accretions in the Platte River system, promoting the long-term sustainability of the region’s water resources and supporting the health of downstream ecosystems.
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