Automatic farm irrigation

Low cost soil parameter monitoring system:

Develop a system for soil parameter status display device for farmers so that they can detect any irregular conditions such as high acidity and efficiently tackle these issues to improve their yield.

Introduction:

Soil is for the farmer what the pulse is for the doctor. It helps them take decisions about when to irrigate, when and what to sow, use nutrients and so on.

While, some farmers have indigenous knowledge of detecting soil moisture and health, such knowledge is confined to only a few. Taking farming decisions on the basis of soil moisture and health have become even more difficult in the age of climate change.

A technology called Soilpulse -- a low cost smart soil monitoring system has come as a potential help to farmers facing farming decision predicaments. Proximal Soilsens started with a mission to build affordable technologies for precision farming. The idea is to “create wealth through sustainability”. The system is embedded with some sensor's like soil moisture sensor, soil temperature sensor, ambient humidity sensor, and ambient temperature sensor. Based on these parameters, farmers are advised about optimum irrigation through a mobile app or with an LCD screen. This data is also available on cloud. There is also a portable soil moisture system.

The technology can help improve efficiency of water usage in agriculture and finds application in open farms, green houses, gardening and research and agricultural labs. It can help with guidance about ways to optimise water usage as per the requirement of crop and soil (Crops, flower, fruits). In case of limited water resources, the farmers can detect and limit watering to only at critical phase of the crop cycle thus not affecting overall yield.

The system can also help avoid over irrigation, thus protecting crops from diseases, saving water, electricity, predict early onset of diseases and offer advisories. In case of erratic electricity farmers can switch on the irrigation equipment (sprinklers, drip, pumps) with the convenience of mobile and preventing leaching of nutrients from soil.

The scientists have indigenously developed the sensors and systems thus keeping the cost very affordable. It is almost 1/6th of the cost of commercial systems which are currently imported. The developed technology will not only benefit the farmers but will also be useful to the agricultural institute and research labs, which are currently using high cost imported products with no support from them.

Social Impacts:

Soil Pulse is mainly used to provide live updates about the soil conditions like its moisture level, fertility, etc.

This device could be used to provide a good assistance to the farmers to maintain their farm more efficiently and economically. Soil pulse continuously monitor the soil and send updates to the farmers smartphone and other device connects to it

By using conventional farming we cannot find out exactly what a plant want at a time. So our only option is to provide a certain amount of water and nutrients. So there is a greater chance in supplying incorrect amount of nutrients which could affect the plants negatively.

And in large scale farming these will also cause economic loss by providing excess amount of nutrients. Soil Pulse can reduce this problem by providing the farmer the information about how much water and nutrients should be added to the soil to keep it in optimal state for the plants to grow. It could use to control farming activities like automated sprinkler system etc.

We know the Alluvial Soil it most suitable for the farming activities as it has loamy and rich in humus. The crops grown in this soil will provide its maximum yield. So if we could convert the soil nature in farm to that of Alluvial Soil we could get maximum yield. By programming Soil pulse keep the soil texture as same of Alluvial soil then we could attain maximum yield.

By uploading the suitable soil nature required at different stages of the plant growth we could provide suitable nutrients to the soil at different stages of the plant growth. We could also change the soil condition at different climates to provide suitable growing conditions to the crops. This could provide efficient farming pattern and provide better yield.

The Soil Pulse is an IoT equipped device. That means we could soil pulse from any part of the world. This simply means a person in the United States could control the farm in India.

Soil pulse is also connected to a solar panel which could provide the power for its functioning. This means its could be installed even in areas where electricity is not available.

This is an Ardiuno based device which means it costs less and is affordable for almost anyone. The device is equipped with some sensors like soil Moisture sensor, Temperature sensor, Humidity sensor etc. These are highly sensitive sensors which could detect any change in soil.

Its outer covering is made of high grade aluminium so that it could withstand any damage caused by the weather. It is made waterproof and dustproof. It could work in any soil condition.

By analysing the data collected by several devices we could compare the farms conditions in different areas on a global scale. Thus we could integrate the global farming activities.

This product has the potential to change the conventional farming practices and make a revolution in the farming sector. This could be more efficient and economic farming practise.

More youngsters could be attracted to farming because of the introduction of modern technologies.

Uiclose to 90%of the fresh water is used for irrigation in India. It is recorded that only 5%of water gets used for domestic polurpose in India.despite that, farmer often obtain sub-optimal yeilds from their crop due to improper irrigation management practices.

If they can monitor soil moisture in their feilds, it helps them to take adequate decisions on irrigation and be cost_effective too.By monitoring soil moisture, farmers can optimise their water usage, increase produce yeild, produce high quality crops, reduce water resource degradation and save a lot of money.

The lack of good machinery for managing cultivation and have poor to no on_farm support as far as crop planning is concerned.No acess to right agriculture information leads to heavy losses.

Monitoring soil moisture will help farmers understand the actual soik water condition and how much their crops need to use. In addition to moisture sensor, the pH sensor attached helps them to identify the exact ratio of mineral composition and due adequate mannuaring if needed.

This new technology not only benefit for farmers but also really helpful for budding scientists and ein agricultural field, which have low cost and high efficiency. We are now forced to import such equipment from other countries in a huge rate and can't maintain here correctly due to high complex mechanisms.but soilpulse is one of an excellent solution against this, which is an low cost maintaining equipment with simple operating technology.

Another application to farmers is that they can find crop feasibility.Farmers can find the feasibility of growing crops in their farm.with the help of feasibility section, farmers can grow those crop that will produce maximum yeild, they can also decide which are the crops to avoid based on the soil, weather condition of their area which can be find out through temperature sensor.

Another important section is the farm management, allows farmers to save their farm information in their website.once the optimal conditions which provided them high yeild can be easily recaped and that optimal values of fertilizer etc can be used to get high yeild.

Also this provide precise location of the farm, the latest weather data &forecasts for temprature/rainfall/humidity.The farmer can compare this with previous year condition and can do adequate measures if there is change in climatic conditions.

Instant alerts are send to farmers in the form of sms regarding change in weather conditions.Nutritional advice, soil information, field irrigation planning, optimizing soil choice and checking of plant or crop disease are also available in addition to soil moisture sensors.