Smart Irrigation Framework Using Arduino for an Improved Abaca Farming System

Being newly renowned as the Abaca Capital of the Philippines, Catanduanes must ensure the sustainability of producing quality abaca fibers for the province's economic growth. Farming factors hold immense weight in the end production of any plant and with the great unpredictability brought by the province's uncontrolled abaca plantation environments and onslaught of typhoons, producing quality abaca yields pose quite a challenge to its farmers. This paper presents a framework to integrate a smart farming irrigation system using Arduino and sensors to detect the soil moisture, soil pH, and temperature levels for conducive farming of abaca in Catanduanes. The framework also includes a system-level architecture of a web-based system that would allow the abaca farmers to view the sensor and event trigger logs of the irrigation system. This study likewise presents results of the developed framework's evaluation by pre-determined stakeholders and technical experts to identify the level of feasibility, viability, and desirability of its development and implementation in Virac, Catanduanes.