Te Wānanga o Waitaha | A new artificial intelligence (AI) system being developed by Te Wānanga o Waitaha at the University of Canterbury (UC) could transform the way farmers manage water, providing more accurate, near real-time insights into soil moisture at field scale.
The project, led by Professor Matthew Wilson of UC’s Toi Hangarau and researcher Xander Cai | by the Geospatial Institute, aims to tackle a long-standing challenge in agriculture: knowing exactly how much water is in the soil, and when and where it is needed.
“Water is one of the most important and constrained resources in agriculture,” says Professor Wilson.
“Currently, farmers often make decisions based on limited or incomplete data. This project aims to provide farmers with the information they need to use water more efficiently and sustainably.”
The research team is developing the ANZ Soil Moisture Data Assimilation System (ANZ-SMDAS), a new monitoring platform that combines ground-based sensors, satellite signals and advanced modeling.
Unlike traditional approaches that rely on point-based sensors or low-resolution satellite data, this system provides highly accurate field-scale soil moisture estimates multiple times a day.
“This is about bridging the gap between what’s happening in the soil and what farmers can actually see and act on,” says Professor Wilson.
“We use signals from global positioning satellites such as GPS that reflect off the ground. By analyzing those signals with AI, we can determine the amount of water in the soil.”
The project brings together researchers from the University of California and the University of Newcastle in Australia, along with partners including Monash University and the Soil Collaborative Research Centre.
University of California doctoral student Xander Cai says the system has the potential to support a wide range of agricultural sectors, from dairy farming and grazing to arable land and irrigated cropping systems.
“Better soil moisture data means better decision making,” says Cai.
“For dairy farmers, it helps optimize pasture growth. For cropping systems, it can improve irrigation timing and reduce water wastage. Ultimately, it supports both productivity and sustainability.”
This research is in direct response to increasing pressure on water resources caused by climate change and frequent droughts across Australia and New Zealand.
By improving the accuracy and accessibility of soil moisture data, the team aims to support more resilient agricultural systems and reduce the environmental impact of irrigation.
“We’re not just developing new technology, we’re building systems that are accessible to the public and that farmers can use on a daily basis,” Professor Wilson says.
“The goal is to provide practical tools that make a big difference on the ground.”
The project builds on earlier MBIE-funded research and is now moving into an extensive multi-year collaborative phase with the aim of delivering a fully operational platform and publicly accessible soil moisture data product.
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