An Economical Sensor-Based Automated Plant Watering System for Smart Irrigation

Abstract

Lack of water results in a reduction in photosynthesis in plants and crops. Plants are significantly affected when the soil water level is depleted thereby resulting in low production in the agricultural sector which can lead to a reduction in food supply. This problem makes water supply and management highly necessary for plants to grow effectively. Over the past century, the rate at which water usage has increased globally has increased at a rate higher than that of population growth. Particularly in dry regions, an increasing number of regions are now using more water than they can sustainably provide. The traditional watering techniques, such as sprinklers and flood mode, are ineffective and those not supply the ideal needs of plants because some plants do not need excess water to grow. This also results in water wasting. These ineffective irrigation systems often provide habitat for organisms that carry illnesses. Research has established that excessive water spillage and stagnant water can be habitat for mosquitoes which can also be dangerous to human health. Therefore, watering plants must be done intelligently, by developing an intelligent system that can regulate the content of water needed to water a plant in accordance with their needs and the moisture content of the soil. This will also reduce the spillage of water. In this study, an automated plant watering system that monitors the soil's moisture level to determine when watering plants is necessary was developed using hardware components such as Arduino UNO (Microcontroller), soil moisture sensor, pump, relays, wires, sprinkler and software instructions to drive the hardware components. An economical watering system was designed. The system was tested and can be effectively used in small gardens and big crop fields.