Rad-IA quantification of rain on the ground by weather radar

• Grant number: 23/10547-9
• Support Opportunities: Research Grants - Innovative Research in Small Business - PIPE
• Start date: March 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2024
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Computer Science - Computer Systems
• Agreement: SEBRAE-SP
• Principal Investigator: José Marcio Bassan
• Grantee: José Marcio Bassan
• Company: Rad-Ia Inova Simples (IS)
• CNAE: Atividades de apoio à agricultura ; Pesquisa e desenvolvimento experimental em ciências físicas e naturais
• City: Bauru
• Associated researchers: José Alfredo Covolan Ulson
• Associated scholarship(s): 24/03802-5 - Rad-IA Quantification of rain on the ground by Weather radar, BP.TT; 24/03915-4 - Front-end development of a digital research site to assess the acceptance of a new product for the consumer market., BP.TT

Abstract

Population growth brings with it the demand for greater food production. The challenge is to boost agricultural production without a significant increase in new planting areas, preserving increasingly scarce natural resources. Improving food production processes may be the answer to this demand. Improving food production processes may be the answer to this demand. Water is a fundamental resource for agricultural production. In Brazil, 70% of the water consumed is used in agriculture. Water efficiency in agriculture is an ongoing pursuit that may lead to a reduction in excessive usage. The utilization of qualitative and quantitative information on meteorological variables can aid in agriculture management decision-making. Variables such as wind speed, temperature and solar radiation are fundamental for calculating the irrigation depth to be applied considering the water balance. The data collected with this information can represent the weather situation for large areas of cultivation; however, due to the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall, this parameter must be measured at multiple points within a cultivation area for the Hydric balance to be calculated efficiently. The uniformity of water application in the crop depends on the efficiency and design of the irrigation system. Meteorological radar data can be used to quantify rainfall at ground level, especially when a methodology is applied that reduces the systematic error of its estimates, providing this answer for the spatial and temporal variability of rainfall. The goal of this project is to commercially provide georeferenced information of daily accumulated rain at ground level, via meteorological radar, so that agricultural producers can plan their water use more efficiently, reducing consumption and influencing the cost of water in agricultural production, with increased productivity. (AU)