Agrometeorology and Agricultural Water Management: Technology Advances and Applications in Cropping Systems

Dear Colleagues,

Agriculture worldwide is increasingly facing complex challenges and uncertainties due to climate variability and resource constraints. The substantial fluctuations in food production are closely linked to the high variability of meteorological conditions, particularly water scarcity. Extreme weather events pose significant threats to agricultural and forest ecosystems, making it increasingly difficult to sustain food production for a growing global population amid shifting climatic patterns and heightened competition for natural resources.

The impacts of agrometeorology on agriculture are already evident across various regions, with rising temperatures, frost events, altered precipitation patterns, and frequent extreme weather phenomena contributing to uncertainty in crop productivity. These climatic shifts influence crop growth, development, and overall survival, underscoring the critical role of water availability in the agricultural sector. One of the key challenges affecting water and food security is inefficiency in agricultural water distribution and management systems, leading to significant water losses. Another major concern is the excessive application of irrigation water beyond plant requirements, exacerbating resource depletion. To address these challenges, a suite of advanced irrigation management strategies and precision agricultural practices can enhance water-use efficiency and resilience in food production systems. The integration of agrometeorological data, cutting-edge instrumentation for the real-time monitoring of agricultural water demand, remote sensing technologies, precision irrigation (smart farming), decision-support systems, and soil conservation techniques offers promising solutions for climate adaptation and sustainable agricultural water management.

In this context, this Special Issue highlights the critical role of agrometeorology and agricultural water management in optimizing cropping systems. It also explores the challenges and applications of innovative agricultural practices and water conservation strategies aimed at enhancing the resilience and sustainability of agricultural production while ensuring higher productivity under changing climatic conditions.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Plant–weather relations;
• Water stress;
• Agricultural water management;
• Irrigation management;
• Precision irrigation (smart farming);
• Water losses;
• Weather factors' effect on plants;
• Water use and crop responses;
• Impacts of climate and climate change on agricultural crops;
• Intercropping systems;
• Remote sensing and water relations;
• Artificial intelligence for climate risk management in agriculture;
• Plant–soil interactions;
• Soil conservation practices.

Prof. Dr. Felipe Schwerz
Prof. Dr. Diego Bedin Marin
Prof. Dr. Victor Buono da Silva Baptista
Guest Editors

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