Date: March 2025
Location: Anuradhapura District, Sri Lanka
Overview
Addressing acute water stress, MPF has launched a pilot network of soil-moisture sensors and mini weather stations across six smallholder farms. Real-time data flows into a cloud dashboard that triggers SMS alerts, so farmers irrigate only when crops need water.
The Challenge
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Inefficient irrigation: Flood irrigation wastes 40–60% of available water.
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Lack of data: Farmers make scheduling decisions by calendar dates and guesswork.
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Rising temperatures: Climate variability increases evapotranspiration rates.
Our Approach
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Sensor Deployment
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Installed 50 LoRaWAN soil-moisture probes and 6 solar-powered weather stations.
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Data Integration & Alerts
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Built a dashboard with customizable thresholds and automated SMS/WhatsApp notifications.
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Farmer Training & Feedback
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Conducted three field workshops to teach data interpretation and refine alert settings.
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Implementation Highlights
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Network coverage: Achieved 10 km of LoRaWAN connectivity via two gateway nodes.
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Open-source dashboard: Running on a low-cost Raspberry Pi server at the MPF field office.
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Partnerships: Collaborating with the Department of Agrarian Services for extension support.
Progress to Date
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20% reduction in cumulative water usage over three cropping cycles.
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4.8/5 satisfaction rating from participating farmers.
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Farmers report 15% yield increase in their groundnut and chili plots.
Expected Outcomes
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Scale to 100 farms by Q3 2025.
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Achieve 30% water-use savings across the pilot zone.
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Publish an open-access manual for replication across Sri Lanka’s dry zone.
“Now I know exactly when my chilli plants need water—I save time, money, and the plants are healthier.”
— Mr. Perera, Pilot Farmer, Horowpathana