Sumon Datta

I'm an irrigation engineer at Oklahoma State University, where I lead the Research in Irrigation Scheduling and Engineering (RISE) Lab. I've worked on agricultural water quantity and quality for more than ten years. My research focuses on using water carefully while helping farmers maintain crop production.

Our group works with farmers, researchers, industry partners, and state agencies. We use field measurements and models to understand irrigation needs, then develop tools and guidance that growers can use on their farms.

I also teach agricultural water management and advise undergraduate and graduate students. I want students to understand the science, ask good questions, and learn how to work through the practical problems they encounter in the field.

We study how soil, crops, and weather affect water use in irrigated fields. Our work combines soil moisture and canopy temperature measurements with satellite data, including OpenET, and soil water balance models. We also test machine learning and deep learning methods for estimating soil moisture and canopy temperature.

Much of our research takes place in the Southern Great Plains, where declining water levels in the Ogallala, or High Plains, Aquifer make irrigation management especially important. Through our research and Extension projects, we work with growers and state agencies on irrigation scheduling and water allocation at both field and regional scales.