Irrigation Automation Market Analysis, By System (Automatic and Semi-automatic), By Irrigation Type (Drip Irrigation, Sprinkler Irrigation, and Surface Irrigation), By Components (Sensors, Controllers, Sprinkler, Valves, and Others), By End User (Agricultural and Non-agricultural), and Regional Forecast, 2024-2032

Irrigation automation uses tools or machines to run various irrigation systems to make changes in the flow of water from bays. Every irrigation system can be automated through electronic appliances and detectors such as timers, sensors, computers, and other mechanical devices.

Most of the time, irrigation automation can be performed with the help of mechanical appliances such as bottle irrigation systems or clay pots. Apart from this, some other high-tech solutions help to automatically measure the water needs of every crop using GIS and satellites. For fully automated systems, no human intervention is required to perform the operations, making them more convenient and feasible.

In arid and barely urbanized regions, farmers are opting for greenhouse farming. Due to advancements in greenhouse projects, consumers' dependency on irrigation automation techniques has increased. Additionally, various initiatives are being undertaken by governments of agrarian countries, which will drive the irrigation automation market growth. The Government of India launched Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchayee Yojana (PMKSY) during the year 2015-16 to provide end-to-end solutions in the irrigation supply chain. PMKSY Per Drop More Crop (PMKSY - PDMC) focuses on improving water use efficiency at the farm level through micro irrigation namely drip and sprinkler irrigation system. This helps to save water, reduce labor expenses and other input costs, and improve farmers' income. However, the high cost of the irrigation automation system sometimes serves as a limiting factor for the market as lower-income group farmers witness obstacles in adopting advanced systems due to high cost.

Impact of COVID-19 on Irrigation Automation Market

The COVID-19 pandemic led to several challenges for industry players. Because of coronavirus restrictions, equipment manufacturing factories were closed, the supply chain was completely disrupted, and companies struggled due to shortage in the supply of raw materials. The temporary shutdown of spare part manufacturing facilities harmed the manufacturing of smart irrigation systems. Additionally, the scarcity of staff and resources in the middle of the pandemic resulted in the slowdown of the market at a global level. However, remote irrigation functions have been less affected during the pandemic as remote irrigation operations require the least human intervention.

Key Insights 

The report will cover the following key insights:

• Overview of parent/related market


• Partnerships, mergers, and acquisitions by key market players


• Key trends and innovation


• Regulatory analysis


• Impact of COVID-19 on the irrigation automation market

Analysis by Irrigation Type

Based on irrigation type, the global market is segregated into sprinkler irrigation, drip irrigation, and surface irrigation. Drip irrigation tries to eliminate water wastage in terms of evaporation and run-off. Besides this, less water consumption-ability of the drip irrigation system is the key factor that propels the segment growth. Sprinkler irrigation aids in moving water over wide distances, which helps improve the efficiency of water consumption. This segment is estimated to exhibit significant growth, augmenting irrigation automation market share in the coming years.

Analysis by End-User Type

Based on end-user, the market is fragmented into agricultural and non-agricultural applications. The non-agricultural application segment is anticipated to witness significant growth over the forecast period. The rise can be attributed to sports grounds, gardens, turf and landscapes, the upswing in golf courses, and residential worldwide.

The agricultural application segment is expected to depict considerable expansion over the estimated period. Agriculture is the major occupation in several regions, which further propels the growth of this segment. The low production cost makes it affordable for customers in emerging countries of Asia Pacific and Latin America to use irrigation automation. Moreover, the adoption of irrigation automation saves labor and time.

Regional Analysis

By geography, North America is anticipated to acquire a significant market share in the coming years. The Asia Pacific market emerged as the fastest-growing segment and is slated to exhibit considerable expansion over the estimated period. The scope of automated irrigation in Asia is expected to broaden due to the implementation of new advanced technologies in developing economies. Besides this, lowering water levels in the region's river basins is increasing the adoption of sensor-based irrigation systems. The rising water scarcity and severe climatic conditions in the area are expected to escalate irrigation automation market size over the forthcoming years.

Key Players

The report covers major market players including The Toro Company (U.S.), Valmont Industries Inc. (U.S.), Hunter Industries (U.S.), Jain Irrigation Systems (India), Rain Bird Corporation (U.S.), Lindsay Corporation (U.S.), Galcon (U.S.), Netafim (Israel), Nelson Irrigation (U.S.), and Rubicon Water (Australia).

Segmentation

Key Industrial Developments

• February 2020: Rain Bird launched a series of controllers, dubbed ESP-LXIVM. The solutions provide large, challenging sites with advanced water management tools, a set of new-to-industry features, and diagnostics. This new launch helped Rain Bird in enhancing its offerings, gaining a competitive advantage.


• March 2020: Lindsay Corporation recently launched FieldNET with a water trend. The new feature offers growers critical crop water usage insights to help in effective and systematic irrigation decision-making. Apart from this, FieldNET provides growers with facility to remotely monitor all aspects of their existing lateral irrigation systems.