The projected rise in the population of Southern California from what is already the highest in the state, calls for new approaches to outdoor urban water conservation that can alleviate pressure on limited water resources. In California, about 50% of water dedicated to urban water use goes toward landscape irrigation, and the number could be much higher in the summer months when the demand is higher. Reducing urban water use has gained increased attention considering the limiting freshwater resources, persistent droughts, and semi-arid conditions of the state. A potential area for achieving this goal is irrigated urban landscape where turfgrass forms a major component of the landscapes planted in recreational fields, golf courses, and public parks. Moreover, lawns are the second largest consumers of water after irrigated agriculture.
I have worked on several projects focusing on developing recommendations, tools, and models for efficient autonomous urban landscape irrigation management in Southern California. I worked on the evapotranspiration (ET) and soil moisture sensor (SMS) based autonomous irrigation scheduling in turfgrass using potable and recycled water, respectively.
Please check out the publications section for published manuscripts related to this research.