Journal of Science, Engineering and Technology 4:51-57 (2016)

Southern Leyte State University, Sogod, Southern Leyte, Philippines

Design of a Prototype Automatic Plant Irrigation

Control System
Noel T. Florencondia
http://orcid.org/0000-0002-1848-9495
Nueva Ecija University of Science and Technology
Cabanatuan City, Nueva Ecija, Philippines

Abstract
Farmers have been using irrigation techniques through manual control. This manual process
is time consuming and usually results in water wastage. The study is about the construction
of a prototype automatic plant irrigation control system. The device is assembled using
ARDUINO UNO and equipped with a soil moisture sensor to detect its condition. In this
automated system, irrigation will automatically take place when there is an intense requirement
of water, as suggested by its moisture content and will automatically turn off when the soil finally
received the amount of water it needs. The testing of the device under different soil conditions
was interpreted based on the sensor input value of the microcontroller. The device worked
and functioned properly according to its program.

Keywords: ARDUINO; Sensor; Irrigation; Agriculture; Soil

Introduction al., 2013). Automation in plant irrigation

system brings lesser work for the farmer.
Agriculture plays a vital role in our economy Through automatic plant irrigation control
and development. For decades, it has system, the presence of farmer in the field
been the main source of food production is not obligatory to do the irrigation process.
and national income for most developing Automated irrigation systems are developed
countries. Although most countries consider to operate the water pump remotely(Hassan,
agriculture as the backbone of their economic etal., 2013). Intelligent automatic plant
growth, this sector of the economy is already irrigation system concentrates watering plants
facing problems that may threaten its future. regularly without human monitoring using a
One of the main problems most agricultural moisture sensor(Carpena, 2005). Naga et
producing countries are facing today is the al. (2013) developed a micro controller
lack of water. The farmers use irrigation based automatic plant irrigation system used
technique through the manual control, in for the plants. To have a better usage of
which the farmers irrigate the land at regular water, there must be a proper schedule of
intervals(Gopinath, etal., 2014). Water-saving irrigation. The study is to build a simple system
agricultural practices and water management using microcontroller for the automatic plant
strategies are therefore required to ensure irrigation control system with lesser human
the viability of the farming industry in places interventions. According to Hussain, et al.
that experience less rain or water shortage. (2013) ARDUINO is an open source computer
Accordingly, if the plants get water at the hardware and software, project and user
proper time then it helps to increase the community that designs and manufactures
production from 25 to 30 % (Kumbhar, et Microcontroller-based tools for building digital

*Correspondence: [email protected]/noy [email protected] ISSN (Print): 2545-9724;

(Online): 2545-9732
Florencondia JSET Vol. 4, 2016

Figure 1. Actual Procedure

devices and interactive objects that can sense researcher was able to observe the flow of the
and control the real world. device’s activity and its functional capabilities.

Objectives of the Study

Design of the Prototype Device
This study aims to develop an automatic plant
irrigation control system. Specifically, it sought Needed Materials in Constructing the
answers to the following: Prototype Device of Automatic Plant
Irrigation Control System
1. Design an automatic plant irrigation
control system using ARDUINO UNO
Table 1 shows the list of materials used in
microcontroller.
making the prototype automatic plant irrigation
2. Develop a prototype of an automatic plant control system while Figure 2 illustrates the
irrigation control system. components of the prototype of an automatic
3. Describe the soil condition based from plant irrigation control system.
sensor input of the microcontroller.
Table 1. List of Materials.
Methodology MATERIAL QUANTITY
Arduino UNO Board 1
In conducting this study, the researcher Relay Module (1 Channel, 5V) 1
employed experimental research and Soil Moisture Sensor 1
manipulated one or more variables to LED 3
determine its effects on another variable. Resistor (330 ohms) 3
This design became an efficient procedure Water Pump 1
to obtain data to yield valid and objective Jumper Wires 13
PCB 1
conclusions.
Enclosure 1
Trial run and testing were conducted to
collect data for the study. Through this, the

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Figure 2. Components of a Prototype Automatic Plant Irrigation Control System

Steps in the Design of the Actual Design

Prototype Device
Figure 3 shows the prototype design. The
main components of the device are the soil
The researcher conducted the following steps
moisture sensor which measures its moisture
in constructing the device:
content and the Arduino UNO board which
is programmed to drive the relay module
1. The researcher sought advice and help on connected to the water pump and to turn on
programming Arduino UNO board. the LED indicators.

2. He modified the device based on the

Results and Discussion
relevant information from past studies.

3. He assembled the connections of soil esign of a prototype Automatic Plant

moisture sensor, relay module and Irrigation Control System
Arduino board on a breadboard.
The device was made possible with
4. The researcher connected the prototype the Arduino UNO board, a brand of a
to the water pump for the trial run. programmable microcontroller. The Arduino
Uno can be powered via an external power
5. When the device was finally functioning supply which can come either from an
properly, he fixed it on a printed circuit AC-to-DC adapter or battery and use USB
board (PCB) and packed it in a hard connection (Mohite, et al., 2015). The
plastic enclosure. device’s components are the Arduino UNO,

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Figure 3. Prototype Design

a soil sensor, a relay, 3 LEDs and a water IN → D10

pump. The sensor was programmed for three
levels of soil moisture namely: dry, wet and
slightly wet. The researcher used three LEDs Program of Arduino Board Code
as indicators for these three levels, and a int RLED= 13; // Wet Indicator at Digital PIN
relay to drive the pump. He submerged the D13
water pump in the reservoir and connected int YLED= 12; // Damp Indicator at Digital PIN
it to a water hose or similar object. Figure 4 D12
shows the interconnection and diagram of the int GLED= 11; // Dry Indicator at Digital PIN
prototype device. D11
Description of the main connections: int PUMP= 10; // relay input at Digital PIN 10
LM 393 Driver to Arduino int SENSOR= A0; // Soil Sensor input at
VCC → +5V Analog PIN A0
GND → GND const int numReadings = 20; //number of
A0 → A0 readings for smoothing
LED to Arduino int readings[numReadings]; // the readings
Green LED → D11 (Dry soil, Pump is ON) from the analog input
Yellow LED → D12 (Damp soil, Pump is ON) int index = 0; // the index of the current reading
Red LED → D13 (Wet soil, Pump is OFF) int total = 0; // the running total
int avgvalue = 0; // average value
Relay to Arduino void setup() {
VCC → +5V Serial.begin(9600);
GND → GND pinMode(GLED, OUTPUT);

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Figure 4. Interconnection and Diagram of the Devicen

pinMode(YLED, OUTPUT); {
pinMode(RLED, OUTPUT); digitalWrite(GLED,HIGH);
pinMode(PUMP, OUTPUT); digitalWrite(YLED,LOW);
// initialize all the readings to 0: digitalWrite(RLED,LOW);
for (int thisReading = 0; thisReading < digitalWrite(PUMP,LOW);
numReadings; thisReading++) }
readings[thisReading] = 0; //DAMP
} if(avgvalue<600 && avgvalue>=370)
void loop() { {
// subtract the last reading: digitalWrite(GLED,LOW);
total= total - readings[index]; digitalWrite(YLED,HIGH);
// read from the sensor: digitalWrite(RLED,LOW);
readings[index] = analogRead(SENSOR); digitalWrite(PUMP,LOW);
// add the reading to the total: }
total= total + readings[index]; //WET
// advance to the next position in the array: if(avgvalue<370)
index = index + 1; {
// if we’re at the end of the array... digitalWrite(GLED,LOW);
if (index >= numReadings) digitalWrite(YLED,LOW);
// ...wrap around to the beginning: digitalWrite(RLED,HIGH);
index = 0; digitalWrite(PUMP,HIGH);
avgvalue = total / numReadings; // calculate }
the average delay(50);
Serial.print(”sensor=”); }
Serial.println(avgvalue);
//SENSOR IS NOT CONNECTED
if(avgvalue>=1000)
Development of a Prototype
{ digitalWrite(RLED,LOW);
Automatic Plant Irrigation Control
digitalWrite(YLED,LOW);
System
digitalWrite(GLED,LOW);
digitalWrite(PUMP,HIGH);
The researcher presented the actual
}
procedure in Figure 1 on how to develop
//DRY
the prototype Automatic Plant Irrigation
if(avgvalue<1000 && avgvalue>=600)
Control System. They are the following:

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Table 2. Description of the Soil Condition Using the Automatic Irrigation System.
Soil Moisture LEDs status Relay Water
Pump
Condition Content Green Yellow Red Status
Status
< 1000
Dry ON OFF OFF ON ON
≥ 600
< 600
Damp OFF ON OFF ON ON
≥370
Wet < 370 OFF OFF ON OFF OFF

• Construction of the device. The was assessed on the basis of its operation
researcher assembled the prototype after during the testing. The device functioned
the needed materials was gathered. properly according to the input values
programmed in the microcontroller for
each type of soil conditions.

Description of the Soil Condition

The condition of the soil was described based

from result of the input values programmed
in the microcontroller in relation to the soil
moisture sensor input .When the classification
of soil is dry or has an integer values of less
than 1000 but more than or equal to 600, the
• Trial Run. The device underwent two green LED turns “ON” while the relay driver
trials before the final input values of and the pump turn “ON”. For the classification
the program of the microcontroller were of slightly wet soil which has integer values of
achieved. When the device worked less than 600 but more than or equal to 370,
according to the three soil conditions, the the yellow LED turns “ON”. The relay driver
researcher moved to the next step. and the pump are still “ON”. Moreover, for
the classification of wet soil or has an integer
• Testing of the device. The researcher values of less than 370, the red LED turns on,
tested and observed the device in a small while the relay driver and the pump turn off.
plant box under different input values In Table 2, the findings revealed the final
each specified for three soil conditions input values for each type of soil conditions
programmed in the microcontroller. that was programmed to the microcontroller.
The prototype device of automatic plant
irrigation control system worked correctly.
It is operating according to the codes
the researcher programmed in it. All the
components of the prototype functioned
properly.

Findings and Conclusions of the

Study
The prototype automatic plant irrigation
• Evaluation of the device. The device control system was designed and developed

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Florencondia JSET Vol. 4, 2016

with the use of ARDUINO microcontroller Hussain R, Sahgal JL, Anshulgangwar,

and soil moisture sensor. It was tested with Md.Riyaj. (2013). Control of Irrigation
assumption of three soil conditions and the Automatically By Using Wireless Sensor
results showed that it functioned properly. Network. International Journal of Soft
The basis for the description of the soil was Computing and Engineering (IJSCE),
from the input values programmed in the Volume 3, Issue 1.
microcontroller. The dry soil classification
has an integer values of less than 1000 but Kumbhar SR, Ghatule AP. (2013).
more than or equal to 600, the slightly wet soil Microcontroller based Controlled Irrigation
classification has integer values of less than System for Plantation. Proceedings of
600 but more than or equal to 370 and the the International Multi Conference of
wet soil classification has an integer values of Engineers and Computer Scientists,
less than 370.The ARDUINO UNO is used for Volume II, March 2013.
easy connection to a jumper cable that can be
directly connected to the microcontroller. The Mohite S, and Ojha M. (2015). Microcontroller
prototype automatic plant irrigation control Based Plant Irrigation. International
system is a valuable tool for the farmers in Journal of Advance Technology in
their plant irrigation activity. Engineering and Science, Vol. No 3,
Issue 10.

Naga V, Rohit Gunturi R. (2013). Micro

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Moisture for Vegetable Crops, IFAS
Extension. Suresh R, Gopinath S, Govindaraju K,
Devika T, Suthanthira N Vanitha.
Hassan K, Siddiqui RI, Islam MT, Siddiqui (2014). GSM-based Automated
NA, and Udin SME. (2013)GSM Based Irrigation Control using Raingun Irrigation
Automatic Motor Control and Protection System. International Journal of
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