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Open research questions in Irrigation Practices and Water Management

45 unresolved questions extracted from the limitations and future-work sections of 458 Irrigation Practices and Water Management papers in our library. Each links back to the study that raised it.

What the literature leaves open

  • Previous studies have not considered the delayed, cumulative effects of resource application on crop growth. There is a need for a more comprehensive model that captures the complex interactions between crop growth, weather, and resource application.

    Optimizing Irrigation and Fertilization Strategies for Crop Growth: A Comparative Study of Genetic Algorithm and Model Predictive Control Under Weather Uncertainty · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies could apply several EFR estimation methods and compare their results. Studies could also include other sustainability criteria than EFRs to account for sustainable blue water management.

    Shifting water scarcities: irrigation alleviates agricultural green water deficits while increasing blue water scarcity · 2026 · DOI

  • There is a need to quantify the impact of irrigation on green and blue water scarcity. There is a lack of studies that consider both green and blue water scarcity in agricultural areas.

    Shifting water scarcities: irrigation alleviates agricultural green water deficits while increasing blue water scarcity · 2026 · DOI

  • The challenge of water management in agriculture due to environmental consequences. The need to ensure food security in the face of climate change. The outdated irrigation infrastructure in the study region.

    Assessing farmers' decisions toinvest in two water-saving irrigation methods using stochastic dynamicprogramming · 2026 · DOI

  • Water scarcity and climate change require efficient use of water in agriculture. Irrigation management is crucial for ensuring the stability of agricultural production. Accurate estimates of crop water requirements are needed for black pepper production.

    Water demand of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) determined by NDVI · 2026 · DOI

  • Climate change affects agricultural security, - Limited access to efficient and sustainable irrigation technologies, - High installation costs of Solar pumps

    Comparison of Water Pump Technologies for Climate-Resilient Irrigation Systems · 2026 · DOI

  • The optimal nitrogen thresholds under different irrigation levels are not well understood. The interactive effects of water and nitrogen on tomato photosynthetic physiological characteristics are not well understood.

    Reduced irrigation decreases the optimal nitrogen threshold of greenhouse tomatoes by altering gas exchange and stomatal morphology · 2026 · DOI

  • Manual monitoring and maintenance of agricultural fields. Inefficient irrigation systems. Limited access to real-time environmental data.

    IOT BASED SMART AGRICULTURE MONITORING AND IRRIGATION SYSTEM · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies are needed to investigate the effects of water-nitrogen interactions on tomato yield and photosynthetic physiological characteristics under different climate conditions. The development of more efficient irrigation and nitrogen fertilization strategies in greenhouse tomato production requires further research.

    Reduced irrigation decreases the optimal nitrogen threshold of greenhouse tomatoes by altering gas exchange and stomatal morphology · 2026 · DOI

  • Abstract Polymer-coated fertilizer capsules are a relevant source of agricultural microplastics in paddy fields, yet controls on their mobilization during puddling remain insufficiently quantified.

    Flotation of polymer‑coated fertilizer capsules in paddy fields: Drivers and implications for microplastic discharge control · 2026 · DOI

  • However, the specific mechanisms by which the frequency of split nitrogen fertilizer applications influences cotton yield and NRE under water-fertilizer integration conditions remain poorly understood.

    Effects of nitrogen application frequency under integrated water and fertiliser management on soil physicochemical properties, dry matter accumulation, photosynthetic characteristics and yield · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for effective methods to improve crop tolerance to drought stress. The lack of understanding of melatonin's role in enhancing drought tolerance in tomato plants.

    Harnessing foliar-applied melatonin to improve yield and stress tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under deficit irrigation · 2026 · DOI

  • While this study demonstrates clear benefits for the ‘Alisa’ cultivar, further research is needed to evaluate the cultivar- dependent variability in MT responsiveness across the diverse genetic spectrum of tomato. In addition, further research is needed to elucidate the specific molecular and metabolic pathways under- lying in MT-mediated drought tolerance and to explore its integration with plant nutrition strategies for sustainable crop management.

    Harnessing foliar-applied melatonin to improve yield and stress tolerance in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) under deficit irrigation · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the development of methods that will improve the ability to efficiently produce crops under heat stress conditions. The research aims to address the challenge of heat stress affecting tomato production.

    Enhancing the sustainability of tomato production and achieving food security through the interaction between organic and inorganic fertilization in improving soil properties under heat stress conditions · 2026 · DOI

  • There is limited research on the effect of deficit irrigation and biochar on cucumber production in semi-arid regions. The study aims to address this gap by investigating the impact of deficit irrigation and biochar on soil water depletion, root distribution, and water productivity.

    Assessing the effect of deficit irrigation and biochar application on soil water depletion, root distribution, and water productivity of cucumber in semi-arid West Texas · 2026 · DOI

  • Soil water depletion was more severe when irrigation water was limited to a greater extent (I4) reflecting its incapability of favoring water limited adaptation mechanism or the enhanced root plasticity.

    Assessing the effect of deficit irrigation and biochar application on soil water depletion, root distribution, and water productivity of cucumber in semi-arid West Texas · 2026 · DOI

  • The optimal irrigation amount and its yield-driving mechanisms remain unclear. The effects of FSWI on soil function and crop yield in saline-alkali soil are not well understood.

    Soil function reshaping and crop yield driving mechanisms in saline-alkali soil under freezing saline water irrigation · 2026 · DOI

  • Freezing saline water irrigation (FSWI) offers a potential strategy for using saline water during the freeze-thaw period, but the optimal irrigation amount and its yield-driving mechanisms remain unclear.

    Soil function reshaping and crop yield driving mechanisms in saline-alkali soil under freezing saline water irrigation · 2026 · DOI

  • Applying the proposed integrated assessment approach to other irrigated regions of Kazakhstan. Enhancing agroecosystem resilience and ecological sustainability through optimized water resource management and sustainable land reclamation measures.

    Integral assessment of soil salinization and water resource use condition for the purpose of sustainable land use · 2026 · DOI

  • The lack of comprehensive assessments of soil salinization processes and irrigation system efficiency in the Zhetysai district. The need for integrated approaches to evaluate the impact of irrigation on groundwater regime and soil salinity.

    Integral assessment of soil salinization and water resource use condition for the purpose of sustainable land use · 2026 · DOI

  • The study identifies a gap in the existing literature on the impacts of climate change on agriculture, particularly in relation to water management. The research aims to address the challenge of water management in agriculture.

    Assessing farmers' decisions toinvest in two water-saving irrigation methods using stochastic dynamicprogramming · 2026 · DOI

  • 2024). Gürbüz and Kardeş (2016) reported that soil organic matter content, nitrate content, and ammonium + nitrate content within the 0–30 cm soil depth could be used as indices for in nitrogen sunflower cultivation. Gürbüz and Kardeş (2024) recommended the use of the functional equation log (279.9-y) = log279.9 - 0.090b1 - 0.117x for determining nitrogen fertilizer requirements of sunflower under rainfed conditions in the Thrace Region. However, although numerous studies have investigated the effects of irrigation and fertilization on sunflower yield, is limited available regarding the combined relationships among water productivity, evapotranspiration, plant N content, oil content, and soil chemical properties under rainfed conditions in the Thrace Region of Türkiye. Moreover, the variability of relationships among different locations and years has not been sufficiently clarified. Understanding the interactions between water productivity, fertilization, and soil dynamics is crucial for sustaining under changing climatic conditions in the Thrace Region. Therefore, the objective of this study was the relationships between water productivity and sunflower yield, plant N content, and oil content; and (ii) the relationships between evapotranspiration and selected soil chemical properties under different ecological conditions in the Thrace Region. In addition, the study aimed to evaluate the effects of soil fertility and water productivity on sunflower production under rainfed conditions.

    Relationships of Water Productivity with Yield, Plant Nitrogen Content, and Oil Content, and Correlations Between Evapotranspiration and Soil Properties in Nitrogen-Fertilized Rainfed Sunflower in the Thrace Region of Türkiye · 2026 · DOI

  • Further studies could investigate the application of NDVI-based estimates for other crops. The development of more efficient irrigation systems for black pepper production could be explored.

    Water demand of black pepper (Piper nigrum L.) determined by NDVI · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for efficient in-situ moisture conservation practices in dryland ecosystems. The lack of understanding of the effects of moisture conservation practices on soil moisture dynamics, crop productivity, and profitability.

    Soil moisture dynamics, thermal regulation and crop yield responses to tillage practices in dryland Alfisols · 2026 · DOI

  • The need for a cost-effective and efficient solution for precision agriculture. The need for a system that can enable real-time monitoring and automated irrigation. The need for a system that can improve irrigation efficiency and optimize water utilization.

    IOT BASED SMART AGRICULTURE MONITORING AND IRRIGATION SYSTEM · 2026 · DOI

Most-cited papers in Irrigation Practices and Water Management

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45 open questions have been extracted from the limitations and future-work passages of 458 Irrigation Practices and Water Management papers in our library. Each one below links back to the study that raised it, so you can read the original claim in context.

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