Automating the irrigation control

One of the main aspects of farming is definitely the irrigation. There is always a need to use optimum amount of water for better crop yield. Manual irrigation does not always guarantee optimal usage of water resources and automation is very important as it ensures adequate volume of water is pumped into the farm and more specifically to each crop. There are different technologies to automate the irrigation process. Our IoT platform which concentrate on developing smart farming solutions uses IoT technology for automating the irrigation control.

Smart Farming Solutions: The working

The sensor units, having soil moisture sensors, deployed across the farm gives input to an irrigation control unit. The control unit calculates the time for which the plants need to be watered and the region that needs to be watered based on the average soil moisture of different regions of the farm. Water from overhead tanks is controlled by solenoid valves based on the signals received from irrigation controller. The relays provided in the actuator unit are capable to drive about 5A current which is enough to power common farm equipment. They can be also used to drive high ampere rated relays for driving large solenoid valves. Together it offers a smart farming solutions which emphasis on irrigation control.

There are 3 relays provided in the actuator unit to drive other DC devices installed in the farm like LED/HID lights used in the green house or alarm system, etc. Let’s have a detailed look of the same.

• In the case of aquaponics or hydroponics farm there is a need to keep continuous flow of mineral enriched water through the grow bed. This flow of water can be controlled using solenoid valves with the help of an actuator unit.
• In a greenhouse, specific lighting system has to be installed for each type of plants. This lighting is crucial in plant life cycle because of non-exposure of direct sunlight. These lights can be controlled via actuator unit from a remote location.
• If any system is found faulty in a farm environment, concerned people would be notified with the help of a safety siren.

There may be requirement to drive AC devices in the farm like water pump, Blower, humidifier exhaust fan etc. The actuator unit comes with 3 AC relays which are capable of driving up to 10A current. For example; the water level control system in a farm can be directly controlled using these relay. To keep the humidity level in the farm at the optimum level, humidifier can be operated based on the predefined threshold limit.