Precision Agriculture System with Soil Analysis & Automated Irrigation

Problem statement

Farmers often use excessive water and fertilizers due to lack of real-time data on soil and weather conditions. This leads to resource wastage and reduced crop yield. A smart system that automates irrigation and recommends fertilizer schedules can significantly improve efficiency.

Abstract

This system uses soil moisture sensors, NPK nutrient sensors, and a weather API to compute irrigation needs. A microcontroller opens or closes solenoid valves automatically based on thresholds or machine learning predictions. The dashboard provides insights such as soil nutrient levels, moisture trends, and irrigation history.

Components required

• ESP32/ESP8266
• Soil moisture sensor
• NPK soil nutrient sensor
• Solenoid valve + relay
• Cloud dashboard
• Weather API integration

Block diagram

Working

The ESP32 reads soil moisture and nutrient levels and compares them to crop-specific thresholds. Using weather forecast data, the system decides whether irrigation is needed. If moisture is too low, the valve opens automatically. The dashboard logs all actions and alerts the farmer when fertilizer levels drop.

Applications

• Smart farms
• Greenhouse automation
• Agricultural analytics
• Water optimization systems