Automated Solar Powered Irrigation System for Varied Crops

Over the years, traditional agricultural practices are characterized by the problems of significant wastage of water and time during field irrigation, and the consequent loss of financial and human resources. Different crops have different water needs, and their growth stages also vary from one crop to another. As existing automated irrigation systems only support the irrigation of field at a set time without considering the moisture level of the soil. In this paper, a prototype of automated solar-powered irrigation system for varied crops is implemented. The system is automated using PIC16F877A microcontroller and sensors such as moisture, temperature, rain and ultrasonic sensors. Power unit, control unit, sensing unit, and watering unit were designed and coupled together to make up the system. The system monitors the soil moisture level and decide whether irrigation is needed or not, and how much water is needed in the soil. The solenoid valve opens only when the temperature is less than or equal to 30°C and moisture level less than or equal to 10%. A pumping mechanism was used to deliver the needed amount of water required to the crop. The result of the battery charging operation showed increase in voltage due to incoming energy from the solar panel; the battery voltage increased as time decreased near its full state of charge. The system, in its upgraded state can be employed by farmers in any part of the nation with average sunlight throughout the year.