A Digital Twin Approach and Challenges for Real-Time Automated Surface-Drip Irrigation Monitoring: A Case of Arusha Tanzania

Irrigation monitoring has become an inevitable tool for conserving water, which is a scarce resource. As weather patterns become more unpredictable, with sporadic rainfall, drought is proving to be a more common phenomenon. Despite efforts by researchers within the confines of the fourth industrial revolution to propose methods for automating irrigation systems, there is a need to catch up with the latest technological trends that combine a multifaceted approach for integrating smart technologies with human interaction and intellect to enhance accuracy in providing a real-time experience for remote monitoring and control of irrigation systems. Moreso, as the world shifts into the fifth industrial revolution. This paper provides an overview of digital twin technology and proposes how it can be adopted in the development of a real-time and automated irrigation monitoring system. For practicality, the proposed digital twin can be incorporated into an existing manual irrigation system thus minimizing the need for complete overhaul of pre-existing manual systems, and keeping the cost of implementation within affordable range for low-income markets. The challenges that face digital twin implementation for irrigation automation have also been highlighted with possible remedies.