Efficient fuzzy controller to increase soybean productivity

Abstract

Soybean production has expanded intensively in South America over the last decades. As the second leading worldwide soybean producer, Brazil has in prospect to increase market share through production growth in soybean areas. Therefore, soybean fields ought to encompass a sizeable region among different types of soil and climate conditions, and so advanced irrigation methods should be advantageous. This present work aims to optimize soybean production through an irrigation system control based on environmental and plant requirements. It was developed an embedded fuzzy controller that is able to process soil moisture, air moisture, temperature, soil type and soybean growth stages and it returns the ideal amount of water. Also, to accomplish the data acquisition, a multiparameter sensor device establishes remote connection and provides continuous in-field measurement. The efficiency of the fuzzy controller and the monitoring unit was verified through simulations, and so, results reached the expected model.