{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,4,3]],"date-time":"2026-04-03T05:18:42Z","timestamp":1775193522732,"version":"3.50.1"},"reference-count":27,"publisher":"MDPI AG","issue":"12","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,6]],"date-time":"2020-12-06T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1607212800000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":[],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["Water"],"abstract":"<jats:p>Climate change, especially the trend towards global warming, will significantly affect the global hydrological cycle, leading to a general reduction of the water available for agriculture. In this scenario, it is essential that research should focus on the development of \u2018water saving\u2019 techniques and technologies. This work summarizes the methodology followed in a project for large scale implementation of variable rate irrigation (VRI) systems using center pivots in corn crop. This is based on technologies for monitoring (i) soil electrical conductivity (ECa) and altimetry, (ii) soil moisture content, (iii) vegetation indices (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) obtained from satellite images, and automatic pivot travel speed control technologies. ECa maps were the basis for the definition of first homogeneous management zones (HMZ) in an experimental corn field of 28 ha. NDVI time-series were used to establish the subsequent HMZ and the respective dynamic prescription irrigation maps. The main result of this study was the reduction of spatial yield variability with the VRI management in 2017 compared to the conventional irrigation management. This study demonstrates how a relatively simple approach could be designed and implemented on a large scale, which represents an important and sustainable contribution to the resolution of practical farmer issues.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/w12123427","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,10]],"date-time":"2020-12-10T22:15:36Z","timestamp":1607638536000},"page":"3427","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":22,"title":["Mapping Management Zones Based on Soil Apparent Electrical Conductivity and Remote Sensing for Implementation of Variable Rate Irrigation\u2014Case Study of Corn under a Center Pivot"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"12","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-5178-8158","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"Serrano","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Forma\u00e7\u00e3o Avan\u00e7ada, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Evora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Shakib","family":"Shahidian","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Forma\u00e7\u00e3o Avan\u00e7ada, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Evora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-0305-8147","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Marques da Silva","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"MED\u2014Mediterranean Institute for Agriculture, Environment and Development, Instituto de Investiga\u00e7\u00e3o e Forma\u00e7\u00e3o Avan\u00e7ada, Universidade de \u00c9vora, P\u00f3lo da Mitra, Ap. 94, 7006-554 Evora, Portugal"},{"name":"AgroInsider Lda. (spin-off da Universidade de \u00c9vora), 7005-841 Evora, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Lu\u00eds","family":"Paix\u00e3o","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"AgroInsider Lda. (spin-off da Universidade de \u00c9vora), 7005-841 Evora, Portugal"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-8465-1318","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Francisco","family":"Moral","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Departamento de Expresi\u00f3n Gr\u00e1fica, Escuela de Ingenier\u00edas Industriales, Universidad de Extremadura, Avenida de Elvas S\/N, 06006 Badajoz, Spain"}]},{"given":"Rafael","family":"Carmona-Cabezas","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Complex Geometry, Patterns and Scaling in Natural and Human Phenomena (GEPENA) Research Group, Gregor Mendel Building, Campus Rabanales, University of Cordoba, 14071 Cordoba, Spain"}]},{"given":"S\u00f3nia","family":"Garcia","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"TERRAPRO, Technologies Lda., Av. Nossa Senhora Guadalupe, n\u00b0 63 Porto Alto, 2135-015 Samora Correia, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jos\u00e9","family":"Palha","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Pereira Palha Agricultura, LDA, Monte de Santo Isidro, 2135-401 Samora Correia, Portugal"}]},{"given":"Jo\u00e3o","family":"No\u00e9me","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"TERRAPRO, Technologies Lda., Av. Nossa Senhora Guadalupe, n\u00b0 63 Porto Alto, 2135-015 Samora Correia, Portugal"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2020,12,6]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","unstructured":"Baptista, V.B.D.S., C\u00f3rcoles, J.I., Colombo, A., and Moreno, M.A. (2019). Feasibility of the use of variable speed drives in center pivot systems installed in plots with variable topography. 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