Design of a green automated wireless system for optimal irrigation

Abstract

Towards sustainable agriculture, the management of scarce water resources has become more crucial. In this article, we proffer a green automated wireless system (GAWS) aimed at maximizing and efficiently utilizing water resources for irrigation. The proposed irrigation system is a green technology which will be powered exclusively by solar energy. In its operation, it uses solar-powered wireless sensors for obtaining and transmitting information about soil moisture content of different segments on a given farm. The GAWS will ensure that irrigation is done only when necessary via a solar-powered irrigation control centre. For optimal irrigation, the automated intelligent control centre is designed to trigger solar-powered groundwater pumps wirelessly to execute necessary irrigation for a particular portion of the farm and fall back on an external irrigation system if that proves insufficient. It is envisaged that the proposed irrigation system will improve total crop yields by maximizing the utility of scarce water resources from both internal and external irrigation sources. It will also minimize the cost of time and labour involved in irrigation management, harness renewable energy and be environmentally friendly.