Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID OK_2025_Bhattari

Advancing Sustainable Agricultural Water Management in Oklahoma through Improved Monitoring of Crop Water Use and Productivity

Institute: Oklahoma
Year Established: 2025 Start Date: 2026-01-01 End Date: 2026-12-31
Total Federal Funds: $27,888 Total Non-Federal Funds: $40,453

Principal Investigators: Nishan Bhattarai

Project Summary: Oklahoma is facing water sustainability challenges due to shrinking groundwater supplies, droughts, and rising demand for water. Farmers are especially affected, making it essential to use available water resources wisely. This project aims to help farmers manage water more efficiently by evaluating current tools that measure crop water use, improving these tools, and creating maps that show how effectively water is used for crop production. To accomplish this, the project will combine data from satellite images, weather and soil moisture sensors, crop censuses, and field measurements. By combining these data, the project will produce more reliable estimates of how much water different crops use and the amount of crop produced from that water. These maps will help farmers and water managers identify the best water-saving farming methods and areas needing improvement. Ultimately, the project seeks to promote smarter water use and ensure the long-term sustainability of farming in Oklahoma