Context: Recently, I introduced AquaSense to a group of farmers and agricultural experts. AquaSense is an online web application designed to empower farmers by providing actionable insights on crop selection, optimal planting times, water requirements, and fertilizer recommendations. This article summarizes the key features and benefits of AquaSense.

The Challenge - Making Informed Farming Decisions

Farming involves countless variables: climate, soil, water availability, crop cycles, and more. Traditionally, farmers have relied on experience or generic advice, which can lead to suboptimal yields or resource wastage. When we started working with local farmers, we noticed inconsistent crop choices, inefficient water usage, and confusion about fertilizer application.

For example, some farmers planted water-intensive crops during dry months, leading to poor yields and wasted resources. Others used more fertilizer than necessary, increasing costs and environmental impact.

Introducing AquaSense

AquaSense is built to address these challenges. It analyzes local climate data, soil conditions, and crop requirements to recommend:

• Which crops to plant in each month and season
• How much water is needed for each crop, based on land area and weather
• The right type and amount of fertilizer for optimal growth

Farmers simply enter their location, land size, and preferences. AquaSense then generates a personalized farming calendar and resource plan.

How AquaSense Works

AquaSense uses a combination of weather APIs, soil databases, and crop science models. The system is framework-agnostic and can be integrated with various platforms, including mobile apps and web dashboards.

For example, the water requirement module calculates irrigation needs by considering crop type, land area, and recent rainfall. Fertilizer recommendations are tailored to the crop and soil nutrient profile.

Here's a simplified example of how the water calculation works: