Development of IoT-Based Smart Irrigation System for Farmland Preparation: A Case Study

Abstract

Agriculture accounts for approximately 24.23% of total GDP and 22% of total exports in Nigeria. It is the most important occupation, providing a source of income for the majority of rural dwellers in Nigeria. Water is the most important resource for agriculture, and irrigation is still one of the most basic wateracquisition processes. Previously, irrigation procedures were carried out manually, resulting in a significant waste of time and an inaccurate volume of water deployed at any given time. In recent times, an artificial intelligence (AI)-based irrigation management method using Internet of Things (IoT) has gained prominence. The irrigation industry has taken advantage of this new technology called Internet of Things to improves irrigation management and drastically reduces operating expenses related to infrastructure maintenance. One of the most serious issues confronting smart irrigation systems is stakeholders' inability to convert available data into detailed and accurate information that can be used in decision making, particularly when it comes to water waste due to improper timing and the proportion.With water scarcity and inefficient traditional irrigation methods posing significant challenges to agricultural productivity,IoT-based technology offers a sustainable solution to manually operated irrigation systems. IoT-based smart irrigation system is an efficient farmland preparationtool and to managing scarce resources such as water and time.Based on the Internet of Things technology, the study analysed key parameterssuch as soil moisture, temperature, and water management using IoT-based technique that work with various sensors. The temperature, humidity, plant and soil moisture sensors are used in the design to detect different soil conditions and automatically irrigate the farmland based on the soil moisture contentand the plant requirements. The results demonstrated the effectiveness of the IoT-based smart irrigation system in optimizing water use in scarcity and enhancing crop yields.