Automated Plant Watering & Monitoring System

By

Bernard Benedict R. Mendoza

Jerome A. Santiago

A Design Report Submitted to the School of Electrical Engineering,

Electronics Engineering, and Computer Engineering in Partial Fulfilment of
the Requirements for the Degree
Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering

Mapua University
January 2021
Approval Sheet
Mapua University
School of EECE
This is to certify that I (Change I to we if there are more than 1 advisers) have
supervised the preparation of and read the design report prepared by Bernard
Benedict R. Mendoza, and Jerome A. Santiago entitled <DESIGN TITLE> and
that the said report has been submitted for final examination on (Month Date, Year)
by the Oral Examination Committee.

______________________
Jocelyn F. Villaverde
Design Adviser

As members of the Oral Examination Committee, we certify that we have examined this
design report, presented before this committee on Month Date, Year, and hereby
recommended that it be accepted in fulfillment of the design requirements for the
degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.
______________________ ______________________
Firstname MI. Lastname Firstname MI. Lastname
Panel Member Panel Member

______________________
Firstname MI. Lastname
Chairman

This design report is hereby approved and accepted by the School of Electrical,
Electronics and Computer Engineering in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the
degree in Bachelor of Science in Computer Engineering.

______________________
Firstname MI. Lastname
Dean, School of EECE

TABLE OF CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL SHEET

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

LIST OF TABLES

LIST OF FIGURES
ABSTRACT

Chapter 1: DESIGN BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

Heading 1

Heading 2 …
Heading 2 …

Chapter 2: REVIEW OF RELATED DESIGN LITERATURE AND STUDIES

Heading 1

Heading 2 …

Chapter 3: DESIGN PROCEDURES

 Heading 1
Heading 2 …

Chapter 4: TESTING, PRESENTATION, AND INTERPRETATION OF DATA

Heading 1
Chapter 5: CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

Heading 1
Heading 2 …

BIBLIOGRAPHY

APPENDIX

Appendix…..

Appendix B ….
LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Title

Table 2: Title …
37
.
.
.
Table n: Title …
67
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure1:Title1
Figure2:Title2
.
.
.
Figuren:Titlen
 ABSTRACT

The abstract gives the reader an overview of the design, based on information from the

other sections of the report. The information given in the abstract is usually the basis of

many readers as to whether they will read the entire report or not. The abstract is one

paragraph of about 100-200 words.

Keywords: (max. of 5 separated by comma)

 CHAPTER 1
DESIGN BACKGROUND AND INTRODUCTION

A. Customer
According to [18] Home gardening indeed has bloomed over the
past few months over the world ever since the pandemic and the
coronavirus lockdowns. People almost all around the world have been
turning gardening into a soothing as well as family friendly hobby.

In an article made by [19] Coronavirus-related lockdown has

indeed prevailed over the Philippines this March to May however it
revealed new opportunities to big companies such as Handyman and True
Value. Gardening Business has grown thanks to people that looked at
domestic activities, and with-it social media hype during the lockdown
regarding plants has grown. Popularity among so called garden-
enthusiasts Plantitos (Plant Uncles) and Plantitas (Plant Aunts) have been
a growing trend that helped the gardening business in the Philippines rise.

Our client and adviser, Engr. Jocelyn F. Villaverde, is a long-time

Plant Lover and Plantita. With this our target clients are into urban
gardening but need help in maintaining their plants.

B. Need
In daily operations related to farming or gardening Watering is the
most important cultural practice and the most labor-intensive task. No
matter whichever weather it is, either too hot and dry or too cloudy and
wet, you want to be able to control the amount of water that reaches your
plants. As with [20] modern watering systems could be effectively used to
water plants when they need it. But this manual process of watering
requires two important aspects to be considered: when and how much to
water.

C. Solution
1. Objective
The main objective of this study is to be able to design an Automated Plant
Watering & Monitoring System. This system would allow the customer to
easily provide irrigation schedule for plants, control the necessary water
 supply based on the soil moisture, while also being notified whenever low soil
moisture has been detected. As for monitoring of the plants current status, a
display system automatically shows the value recorded by the humidity and
the temperature sensor.

2. Scopes and Delimitation

For implementation of automatic plant watering system, we have used
combination of sprinkler systems, pipes, and nozzles. This project uses the
ATmega328 microcontroller. It is programmed to sense moisture level of
plants at instance of time, if the moisture content is less than specified
threshold which is predefined according to plant’s water need then desired
amount of water is supplied till it reaches threshold. Generally, plants need to
be watered twice a day, morning, and evening. Thus, the microcontroller is
programmed to water plants two times per day. System is designed in such a
way that it reports its current state as well as remind the user to add water to
the tank.

D. Differentiation

Design Solution Nearest Similarity

Technology Automated Plant Moisture Sensor and

Watering & Control System for
Monitoring System Sprinkler and
Method therefor
(Patented)
Functionality Automated water Automated Water
Irrigation System and Irrigation System
Manual Monitoring
System
Features Usage of Soil Usage of Soil
Moisture Sensor for Moisture Sensor for
moisture content moisture content
Usage of
Temperature and
Humidity as a
variable factor
Usage of LCD for
display of variable
 factor
Usage of buzzer as
alarm in Manual
Mode

E. Benefits
To replace manual activities and making gardener's work easier, we have
created automatic plant watering system. By adding automated plant watering
system to your garden or agricultural field, you will help all your plants reach
their fullest potential as well as conserving water. Using sprinklers, drip emitters,
or a combination of both as with [20], we can design a system that is ideal for
every plant in our yard.
 Chapter 2
REVIEW OF RELATED DESIGN LITERATURE AND STUDIES
I. Impotance of water, soil, temperature, and humidity monitoring on
plants
Water is one of the most important compononents that a plant needs in
order to grow. Each plant requires different amount of water. Having the
right amount of water ensures a good growth progress on the plant and
lessens water wastage. In [1], the total water requirement for a single
eggplant 108 days after planting it is 149.26 liters but the farmers produced
604.8 liters which is four (4) times the actual requirement. The researchers
produced an Arduino based prototype which depends on the value of the soil
moisture in order to control the amount of water sprinkled on crops. With this
prototype, researchers believed that farmers will be able to conserve more
water and to water the crops without any labor intervention.

In [2], soil moisture is the key component observed just like in [1] in order to
pump the right amount of water. However, this prototype also displays the
status of the motor pump. The research clearly showed that using the
Arduino prototype will conserve more water than using the manual irrigation.
The testing is done for 25 days and watering is done by considering different
parameters like the weather conditions, type of soil, and type of plant.

Temperature and humidity of the environment is also a factor to be

monitored in growing a plant. A high temperature causes water loss in plants,
while a low temperature can cause thermal shock to the plants. A low
humidity indicates a dry environment and little water vapor in the air, and it
also causes water loss on plants. On the other hand, high humidity indicates
the presence of huge amount of water vapor which is also not good for
plants. [3] is an smart irrigation prototype that uses Raspberry PI 3. It
monitors soil moisture for water pumping purposes, as well as temperature
and plant humidity. It also uses buzzer and scarecrow (automated toy) in
order to lessen intrusion of birds and other farmland animals.

II. Manual Irrigation System

Manual irrigation is the use of human effort to cater the water needs of
plants. It is the most common type of irrigation because anyone can do it;
however, not anyone can do it properly. A plant needs the right amount of
water in order to grow. A plant’s growth is affected negatively if there is too
much or less water. The plant owner needs to know the right amount of
water required for each plant. Also, knowing the right water requirement of
 plant will allow a plant owner to conserve more water than usual. Manual
irrigation also requires monitoring of the humidity and temperature of the
environment and observing the soil moisture of the plant. Knowing these
parameters allow the plant owner to respond rightly on the needs of the
plants.

[4] uses IoT for smart monitoring of soil moisture of plants, and humidity and
temperature of the environment. The study aims to increase human
productivity by reducing the time in manual irrigation of plants. Data are
then sent through the plant owner’s phone or can be viewed in a personal
computer. By knowing these values, a plant owner will spent less time in
manually monitoring the plants. These monitored values will be an indication
for the plant owner to repond to the needs of the plants.

III. Automatic Irrigation

Automatic Irrigation is the use of a smart prototype to tend and to monitor
the parameters needed for a plant’s growth. Automatic irrigation reduces
human effort and allows plant owners or farmers to conserve water. It also
allows them to monitor parameters like soil moisture, temperature, and
humidity accurately.

[1], [2], [3], and [4] use an automated irrigation system prototype.
Automatic irrigation prototypes can be expensive depending on the materials
and sensors used. [2] designed a low cost automatic irrigation system by
using an Arduino UNO and soil moisture sensor as the basis of water
requirement of a plant. An accurately monitored values produced by the
prototype will greatly help in tending to the needs of plants.

IV. Philippine Setting

Covid-19 pandemic greatly affected every Filipino’s normal lives. It affected
peoples’ health, plans, jobs, and mental health. Majority of Filipinos are
having a hard time coping with the situation since everyone is not allowed to
go out of their homes because of the community quarantine. In [5], 1879
online surveys were gathered from March 28- April 12, 2020. Collected data
include the sociodemographics, health status, contact history, COVID-19
knowledge and concerns, precautionary measures, information needs, the
Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scales (DASS-21) and the Impact of the
Events Scale-Revised (IES-R) ratings. During this period of the pandemic, it
is reported that the DASS-21 mean score was 25.94(SD = 20.59). One-fourth
of the respondents reported moderate-to-severe anxiety,and one sixth
reported moderate-to-severe depression.
 Different coping mechanisms helped every Filipino to get through while the
country is under community quarantine. Doing vlogs, Tiktok videos, and
gaming became a trend during the quarantine. Most especially, a lot of
people devoted their time and resources to gardening and planting. As a
result, the terms “plantitos” and “plantitas” were coined. People with no
background about plants also joined the plantita and plantito trend in order to
cope with the situation. The rise of plantitos and plantitas increased the
demand for ornamental plants.

Beginner plantitos and plantitas need to have a basic knowledge about the
factors that could affect a plant’s growth. Right amount of water, soil
moisture, temperature and humidity are the fundamental parameters to be
monitored. Prototypes like in [1], [2],[3], and [4] will help plantitos and
plantitas, especially those who are busy working from home, to monitor and
to water the plants efficiently.

V. Comparison with other Studies

Prototypes in [1], [2], [3], [4], [6], [7], [8], and [15] uses soil moisture
sensor as a basis for watering the plants. These studies agreed to one
objective which is to conserve water. All prototypes also show effieciency as
the monitoring of values are made digital. [1], [2] and [3] used 16x2 LCD to
monitor for the status of pump and the value of soil moisture. [4] used a GSM
Module to sent data through the mobile phone or in the web. [9] also used a
16x2 LCD to display humidity, temperature, solenoid and the water level. [11]
used an Android application that is developed to monitor the instantaneous
status of the system. [15] also used the web to display and to relay water
status. Soil moisture, and the mode of the prototype is also displayed. It uses
embedded system technology and Raspberry PI is used in the design of the
prototype model.

[7] and [9] designed a solar powered irrigation system. [7] used an solar
powered AIS to sense the moisture level of the soil continuously and transmit
the response on the circuit. The transmitted information will be the indication
to irrigate the crops. [9] used the solar panel as a source for the charge
controller. ATmega 2560 microcontroller, Sensors, GSM module, LCD, and
Solenoid valve has been used as a prime component. The disadvantages of a
solar powered prototype are cost and long rainy season in the Philippines.

[10], [12], and [13] used fuzzy logic system. [10] used wireless sensors that
contain nodes and sensors. The data are then sent to the fuzzy logic and it
decides if the valve is to be kept open. An algorithm is programmed in the
fuzzy logic. The system is powered by photovoltaic cells. The system has also
a communication link in order to monitor and receive values to a mobile
phone. [12] used a fuzzy-based system based on IoT. DHT11, YL-100, and
LDR sensor to monitor air temperature and humidity, soil moisture, and light
intensity, respectively. Their objective is to create an irrigation system that
uses fuzzy rule-based interference. [13] used a fuzzy logic system and is
simulated through Matlab. Power optimization is their main objective.

[14] used an advanced SCADA architecture system for water management

and irrigation system. The architecture reduces both energy consumption and
irrigation costs.

The studies mentioned above used farm plants such as crops, strawberries
and eggplants. Different approaches were used like IoT, embedded systems,
and fuzzy logic. Some of the prototype are complex and is not cost wise. We
aim to design a low cost prototype just like in [2] that uses Atmega 328
microcontroller and will be used for monitoring and watering ornamental
plants.
 Chapter 3
DESIGN PROCEDURES

A. Design Process Flow

I. Identifying client’s needs
The client needs a prototype that can be used to monitor her ornamental plants
properly as she was busy doing home errands and work-related stuff.
II. Brainstorm and gather related information about the client’s needs
We came up with an irrigation system for ornamental plants that has two modes:
manual and automatic. The manual mode requires the plant owner to water the
ornamental plants. A buzzer indicates the need for watering and automatically
stops when right amount of water is supplied. The automatic mode automatically
waters the plant when needed. The need for watering is based on the reading
value of soil moisture sensor. Humidity and temperature is also observed and is
displayed on a 16X2 LCD.
III. Creating a Schematic Diagram of the prototype
IV. Preparation of Materials
The prototype uses Atmega 328 microcontroller. Sensors and modules are
connected to the microchip’s digital pins. Soil moisture sensor, temperature and
humidity Sensor, Water pump, 16x2 LCD, buzzer, AND and OR gates, NOT gate,
resistors, and battery for the source are prepared for the prototype.
V. Building the prototype
The application of hardware and software development of the prototype
VI. Testing the prototype
The functionality of the prototype will be tested. Humidity, Temperature, and Soil
moisture sensors will be tested if functioning correctly. Two different modes of
the prototype will be tested. On the manual mode, the buzzer will be tested if it
responds to a low soil moisture. On the automatic mode, automatic watering will
be tested if it responds to a low soil moisture.
VII. Refining the prototype
Client and other researchers’ feedback will serve as a basis for refining the
prototype further.
B. Hardware Development
a. Conceptual Framework

b. Block Diagram
c. Schematic Diagram using ONLY IEEE standard symbols and notations
 d. Isometric Model of the device when completed
Front:

Back:
C. Software Development
The prototype has two modes: manual and automatic. Therefore, there are two
buttons on the prototype. When the manual mode button is pressed, the buzzer will
serve as the notification if the soil moisture is low. The buzzer will stop after the
right amount of water is supplied to the plant. When the automatic mode button is
pressed, automatic watering is activated and it will also respond when the soil
moisture is low.

D. Prototype Development – present and discuss in this section the following:

a. PCB Design
b. PCB Component Diagram
c. Casing Model of the Prototype
d. Bill of Materials

E. Multiple Design Constraints

 Plant detection
Since different ornamental plants require different amounts of water in
order to grow properly, the prototype will be programmed manually. The
value detection for soil moisture will be changed depending on the
ornamental plant.
 Cost
Since each plant requires different amount of water, one plant requires
oneirrigation prototype.
 Time
Each person has different schedules and sometimes need to focus more
on other things. Plant monitoring can sometimes be neglected even for a
plant lover as unpredicted errands will come up.

F. Trade-offs
In order to minimize the complexity of the prototype, the programming of the value
of soil moisture detection is done manually depending on the plant. As the prototype
does not automatically detect what kind of plant it will cater.

G. Selection of Alternative Solution

 Plant detection
The prototype will be programmed manually using FTDI programmer. The
value detection for soil moisture will be changed depending on the
ornamental plant.
 Cost
In order to purchase more prototype, the materials used are low cost.
 Time
If the person has an ample amount of time to monitor the plant, he/she
can switch the prototype to manual mode. If he/she does not have that
time, he/she can switch the prototype to automatic mode.

H. Impact of Design Solution

 Economically, the development of the prototype can continuously increase the
demand for plants. Busy or not, the person has an option to do the watering
manually or automatically. Effortless monitoring of plants will encourage a lot of
people to enter the world of plantitos and plantitas. Using this prototype, plant
owners can also conserve water in automatic mode. Even in manual mode, the plant
owner can conserve water as the buzzer will stop notifying if the plant got the right
amount of water.
 Effortless monitoring of temperature of humidity without relying to human instincts
is also a good way to properly monitor the plant. Knowing accurate values of
temperature and humidity has a large impact in plant’s growth. Having these values
monitored can be helpful to experienced and non-experienced plant lovers.

I. Engineering Principles
 Keeping the target user in mind
As the demand for plants grows during this pandemic, a need to introduce
an irrigation system that waters and monitors the plant in an effortless
way. This irrigation system will allow the person to conserve water and
importantly save his/her time monitoring the plant.

 Keeping it Simple
The prototype’s overall structure is not complex, therefore we also
reduced its overall cost.

J. Modern Engineering Tools

 Arduino IDE
By using the FTDI programmer, we can program the Atmega 328 microcontroller
using the Arduino IDE.
 ExpressSCH
This software is used to create the schematic diagram of the prototype.
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