IoT-Based Electronic System for Real-Time Soil Nutrient Detection in Precision Agriculture

Abstract

In crop development, the presence of soil nutrients plays a very remarkable role due to their capability to determine the productivity of the planted crops. There is a traditional method for determining the level of nutrients in the soil, but it is laborious and ineffective. In addition, it is often not a profitable method due to its labour-intensive nature. In recent years, the emergence of contemporary electronic-based technologies for measuring the level of nutrients in the soil has been embraced. The technique has enhanced soil nutrient management, leading to higher crop yields. In the context of a modern smart agricultural farm, the application of programmable Internet of Things (IoTs) with integrated artificial intelligence (AI) technology for the easy identification of soil nutritional deficiencies. Therefore, the focal objective of this study is the design, implementation and testing of an IoT-based soil nutrient detection device utilizing intelligence techniques. The unfamiliarity of the farmers with the level of soil nutrient composition and the environmental conditions might limit the productivity of the soil for the farmer. Therefore, the performance of the instrument designed and developed was tested experimentally on two different farmlands. Measurements were conducted for soil temperature, moisture content, pH value and humidity. It was found in farmland 1 that the corresponding average values of the soil temperature, moisture content, pH value and humidity are 32.12oC, 29.66%, 5.58 and 72.06% while the values obtained from the farmland were 32.28oC, 30.16%, 6.00 and 72.96% with satisfactory outcomes based on small error margins.