• Journal of Appropriate Technology
• /
• v.6 no.2
• /
• pp.136-145
• /
• 2020

Agriculture is the backbone of the economy of most developing countries. In these countries, agriculture or farming is mostly done manually with little integration of machinery, intelligent systems and data monitoring. Irrigation is an essential process that directly influences crop production. The fluctuating amount of rainfall per year has led to the adoption of irrigation systems in most farms. The absence of smart sensors, monitoring methods and control, has led to low harvests and draining water sources. In this research paper, we introduce a 433 MHz Radio Frequency and 2G based Smart Irrigation Meter System and a water prepayment system for rural areas of Tanzania with no reliable internet coverage. Specifically, Ngurudoto area in Arusha region where it will be used as a case study for data collection. The proposed system is hybrid, comprising of both weather data (evapotranspiration) and soil moisture data. The architecture of the system has on-site weather measurement controllers, soil moisture sensors buried on the ground, water flow sensors, a solenoid valve, and a prepayment system. To achieve high precision in linear and nonlinear regression and to improve classification and prediction, this work cascades a Dynamic Regression Algorithm and Naïve Bayes algorithm.

• Journal of Applied Biological Chemistry
• /
• v.63 no.4
• /
• pp.347-355
• /
• 2020

Several sensors have been developed for soil and plants to assess plant stress due to climate change. Therefore, the objective of the study is to nondestructively evaluate temperature stress on plant by monitoring climatic and soil conditions and plant responses using various sensors. Plant responses were monitored by electrical conductivity in plant stem and sap flow rate. Electrical conductivity in plant stem reflects the physiological activity of plants including water and ion transport. Fully grown Brassica oleracea var. italica was exposed to 20/15 ℃ (day/night) with 16 h photoperiods as a control, low temperature 15/10 ℃, and high temperature 35/30 ℃ while climatic, soil, and plant conditions were monitored. Electrical conductivity in plant stem and sap flow rate increased during the day and decreased at night. Under low temperature stress, electrical conductivity in plant stem of Brassica oleracea var. italica was lower than control while under high temperature stress, it was higher than control indicating that water and ion transport was affected. However, chlorophyll a and b increased in leaves subjected to low temperature stress and there was no significant difference between high temperature stressed leaves and control. Free proline contents in the leaves did not increase under low temperature stress, but increased under high temperature stress. Proline synthesis in plant is a defense mechanism under environmental stress. Therefore, Brassica oleracea var. Italica appears to be more susceptible to high temperature stress than low temperature.

• Journal of Sensor Science and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.6
• /
• pp.415-419
• /
• 2021

We developed a highly accurate, yet inexpensive, refractive index (RI)-based soil moisture sensor. To detect the RI, a light guide was set with a light-emitting diode and photodiode. When the air fills the space between the soil particles, most of the incident light is reflected at the interface between the waveguide and the air because of the large RI difference. As the moisture of the soil increases, the macroscopic soil RI increases. This allows incident light to pass through the interface. The intensity of the light reaching the photodiode was simulated according to the change in the soil RI. Using the simulation results, we designed and manufactured a curved glass waveguide. We evaluated the performance of the RI-based soil sensor by comparing it with a commercially available, high-cost and high-performance time-domain reflectometer (TDR). Our sensor was 96% accurate, surpassing the costly TDR sensor.

• Journal of Korea Water Resources Association
• /
• v.45 no.12
• /
• pp.1293-1307
• /
• 2012

This study is to evaluate the RHESSys (Regional Hydro-Ecological Simulation System) simulated streamflow (Q), evapotranspiration (ET), soil moisture (SM), gross primary productivity (GPP) and photosynthetic productivity (PSNnet) with the measured data. The RHESSys is a hydro-ecological model designed to simulate integrated water, carbon, and nutrient cycling and transport over spatially variable terrain. A 8.5 $km^2$ Seolma-cheon catchment located in the northwest of South Korea was adopted. The catchment covers 90.0% forest and the dominant soil is sandy loam. The model was calibrated with 2 years (2007-2008) daily Q at the watershed outlet and MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) GPP, PSNnet and 3 year (2007～2009) daily ET data measured at flux tower using the eddy-covariance technique. The coefficient of determination ($R^2$) and the Nash-Sutcliffe model efficiency (ME) for Q were 0.74 and 0.63, and the average $R^2$ for ET and GPP were 0.54 and 0.93 respectively. The model was validated with 1 year (2009) Q and GPP. The $R^2$ and the ME for Q were 0.92 and 0.84, the $R^2$ for GPP were 0.93.

• Journal of the Korea institute for structural maintenance and inspection
• /
• v.19 no.2
• /
• pp.33-39
• /
• 2015

Recently, the event of slope failure has been occurring frequently due to rapid climate changes and broad development of infrastructures, and the research for establishment of monitoring and prevention system has been an attentive issue. The major influence factors of slope failure mechanism can be considered moisture and temperature in soil, and the slope failure can be monitored and predicted through the trend of moisture-temperature change. Therefore, the combined sensing technology for the continuous measurement of moisture-temperature with different soil depths is needed for the slope monitoring system. The various independent sensors for each item (i.e. temperature and moisture respectively) have been developed, however, the research for development of combined sensing system has been hardly carried out. In this study, the high-fidelity sensor combing temperature-moisture measurement by using the minimized current consuming temperature circuit and the microwave emission moisture sensor is developed and applied on the slope failure monitoring system. The feasibility of developed monitoring system is verified by various experimental approaches such as standard performance test, mockup test and long-term field test. As a result, the developed temperature-moisture combined measurement system is verified to be measuring and monitoring the temperature and moisture in soil accurately.

• The Journal of the Institute of Internet, Broadcasting and Communication
• /
• v.19 no.1
• /
• pp.127-132
• /
• 2019

In this paper, we design and build an information system for the growth management of agricultural products and aquatic products by ubiquitous computing. So that, we installed various sensor systems and developed IP Cam to establish monitoring. It was possible to construct an environmental management system based on IT technology by a database that directly controls and manages the growth conditions of agricultural products and aquatic products by monitoring. We have installed various sensors that can acquire data in real time and IP Cam is designed and manufactured in three parts. It was applied to agricultural and marine products and monitored soil moisture, temperature, and environmental information to establish conditions for growth environment.

• Journal of Bio-Environment Control
• /
• v.29 no.4
• /
• pp.344-353
• /
• 2020

Plants native in Korea have not only ornamental values but also have excellent environmental adaptability, so they can be used as garden plants. Studies on proper volumetric water content (VWC) of substrates have been reported, but many have been conducted in glasshouse conditions where environmental factors were controlled. When considering garden planting, it is necessary to perform the automated irrigation system in outdoor conditions where rainfall occurs at frequent intervals. This research aimed to investigate the VWC suitable for the growth of Minuartia laricina, Arenaria juncea, and Corydalis speciosa in open filed. Sandy soil which consisted of particles of weathered rock was used, and the VWC of 0.15, 0.20, 0.25, and 0.30 ㎥·m^-3 was maintained using an automated irrigation system with capacitance soil moisture sensors and a data logger. No significant differences in growth and antioxidant enzymes activity of A. juncea were observed among VWC treatments. However, the survival rate was low at VWC 0.30 ㎥·m^-3 treatment, which was the highest soil moisture content. Even considering the efficiency of water use, we recommended that VWC 0.15-0.20 ㎥·m^-3 is suitable for the cultivation of A. juncea. Minuartia laricina showed better growth with lower VWC. Because of frequent rainfall in open field, plant volume and survival rate was high even in VWC 0.15 ㎥·m^-3 treatment. In C. speciosa, the plant height, number of shoots and lateral shoots, and fresh and dry weight were higher in plants grown in VWC 0.25 ㎥·m^-3 as compared with that in the plants grown at 0.15, 0.20, and 0.30 ㎥·m^-3. Based on these results, M. laricina needed less water in open filed, and A. juncea and C. speciosa required higher VWC, but excessive water should be avoided.

• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
• /
• v.33 no.4
• /
• pp.269-275
• /
• 2008

This study was conducted to design an impedance sensor that can measure soil water content of soils. Partial least square regression (PLSR) was applied to soil impedance data preprocessed with a smoothing method. An optimal sub-spectrum size and wavelength range were determined by comparing the coefficient of determination ($R^2$) and root mean square error (RMSE) of the PLSR models obtained using soil impedance data. various PLS analysis. Based on the PLSR analysis, it would be concluded that the optimal spectrum measurement range was $32.0{\sim}50.0\;MHz$ with the optimal sub-spectrum size of about 18.5 MHz.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
• /
• v.24 no.4
• /
• pp.53-61
• /
• 2022

Growing agricultural products in greenhouses controlled by creating suitable climatic conditions and root zone of crop has been an important research and application subject. Appropriate environmental conditions in greenhouse are necessary for optimum plant growth improved crop yields. This study aimed to establish web-based remote monitoring system which monitors crops growth environment and status of crop on a real-time basis by applying to greenhouses IT technology connecting greenhouse equipment such as temperature sensors, soil sensors, crop sensors and camera. The measuring items were air temperature, relative humidity, solar radiation, CO₂ concentration, EC and pH of nutrient solution, medium temperature, EC of medium, water content of medium, leaf temperature, sap flow, stem diameter, fruit diameter, etc. The developed greenhouse monitoring system was composed of the network system, the data collecting device with sensors, and cameras. Remote monitoring system was implemented in a server/client environment. Information on greenhouse environment and crops is stored in a database. Items on growth and environment is extracted from stored information, could be compared and analyzed. So, A integrated monitoring system for smart greenhouse would be use in application practice and understanding the environment and crop growth for smart greenhouse management. sap flow, stem diameter and pant-water relations

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
• /
• v.46 no.2
• /
• pp.99-104
• /
• 2013

Vegetables production in greenhouse are typically intensely managed with high inputs of fertilizers and irrigation water, which increases the risk of ground-water nitrate contamination. In 2010 and 2011, a study was conducted to determine the appropriate depth of soil moisture sensor for automatic irrigation control to use water and nitrogen efficiently under subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) systems. The irrigation line for SDI placed 30 cm below soil surface and tensiometer was used as soil moisture sensor. Three tensiometer treatments placed at 10 (SDI-T10), 20 (SDI-T20) and 30 cm (SDI-T30) depths below soil surface under SDI. These are also compared to SUR-T20 treatment where tensiometer placed at 20 cm below soil surface under surface drip irrigation (SUR) systems. The growth of cucumber was not statistically different between SUR and SDI without SDI-T30 treatment. Fruit yields (Mg/ha) were 57.0 and 56.9 (SDI-T10), 56.0 and 60.5 (SDI-T20), 40.9 and 41.2 (SDI-T30) and 56.6 and 54.3 (SUR-T20) for 2010 and 2011, respectively. Slightly higher total yield was observed in tensiometer placed 20 cm below the soil surface, although no significant differences were found between SDI-T10 and SDI-T20 under SDI treatments. In addition, nitrogen application rates and daily irrigation rates were lowest in SDI-T20 compared with other SDIs and SUR treatments. Nitrogen and daily irrigation application under SDI-T20 was lower than that under SUR-T20 by 6.0%. These findings suggested tensiometer 20 cm depth under SDI systems was best for cucumber production in greenhouse.