Assessment of Long-term Spatial and Temporal Soil Moisture Variability in the Sher River Watershed, Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

Soil moisture significantly impacts crop yield, irrigation scheduling, and farm-level water management decisions, Precision farming and watershed management. Therefore, enhancing agricultural resilience and guaranteeing sustainable water resource management. During the years 2015–2025, this study Shows Long-term Geospatial and temporal variability of soil moisture in the Sher River Basin. The study examined seasonal trends, interannual variations, and geographical disparities throughout the watershed using a high-resolution monthly soil moisture dataset produced by a previously proven machine learning technique. The results show that 2024 was the wettest year for soil moisture levels. On the other hand, 2017 was quite dry with low moisture levels across the basin. Soil moisture was also higher in 2016, 2023 and 2025. These changes in soil moisture closely followed rainfall patterns, indicating that rainfall is a factor in determining soil moisture in the Sher River Basin. The Sher River Watershed experiences significant changes in soil moisture throughout the year. You can see a difference in soil moisture during July, August, and September. This is because it rains a lot during these months. The SMAP data also show that the soil moisture is higher during this time. In areas where people grow crops, the soil is really wet when they plant. This is because farmers use water to prepare the soil for seeds and help them grow. So, soil moisture changes in the Sher River Watershed are mostly due to how farmers irrigate their crops and to rainfall during the monsoon months. The soil moisture in the Sher River Watershed is influenced by both irrigation practices and monsoon rainfall.