An automated irrigation system for rice cropping with remote supervision

Rice cropping farms are significant loads in power systems due to the large amount of electrical energy required by the irrigation system. In Brazil, power companies invest in research to improve energy efficiency of this type of load. This paper presents an automated irrigation system based on supervisory control (SCADA) and wireless communication. The main objective of the project is to monitor and control the level of water in the crop, which represents an important impact on energy efficiency and water consumption. Specific characteristics of rice cropping irrigation was taken into account, such as large distances involved and different working schemes of water pumps. A complete solution is presented and it includes equipment description for reliable communication and supervisory features.