The Practical IoT System Designed for a Melon Farm: A Case Study for Farmer Development in Northern Thailand Region

Chiang rai is the northern Thai province with the most melon farms and the greatest potential for farmer profit. Premium melon cultivation, on the other hand, needs more preparations than a standard melon farm, such as irrigation and fertilization from seeding through harvesting. Melon requires varied watering and fertilizer for each cultivation phase to achieve excellent product output and quality per crop. Furthermore, there are other obstacles and issues along the process, such as pests and plant disease. Furthermore, owing to the change in humidity between day and night in the greenhouse throughout the winter and rainy season, numerous melon diseases may be easily detected. This can lead to illness and the breaking of the entire melon plant. If the melon is not properly cared for at the beginning of planting. Currently, all processes are carried out by humans. As a result, a large number of melon farms require a significant number of human resources and money. Furthermore, employees may make errors in measuring the amount of fertilizer solution as well as preparing the needed fertilizer solution and water for each planting phase. This can also have an impact on and damage the entire melon plant. Moreover, most of the melon farms are small and medium size farms owned by low-middle income farmers who are incapable of high investment on smart equipment. As a result, the focus of this research, sponsored by the National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC), is on the design and implementation of affordable IoT solutions for the small-medium melon farms. There are two proposed systems: fertilization-irrigation system and an environmental control system. The proposed approach has been proven to be effective for small and medium-sized farms. Furthermore, the resulting technology is affordable and may be further improved for application in greenhouse cultivation of other plants.