Smart Irrigation System for Wheat in Saudi Arabia Using Wireless Sensors Network Technology

Abstract

Irrigated agriculture has been considered to be one of the most water consumers in the world. Shortage of water is more pronounced in semi arid and arid regions, where average rainfall is minimal and water limitation is the most affecting factor in crop production. Proper management of water irrigation is more needed than ever for sustainable productivity and improvement of water use efficiency of wheat crop. Irrigation timing and water dosage are the key aspects of watering scheduling. Available equipment specially soil moisture monitoring devices provide all the information required for irrigation management, but frequently lack in representativeness and reliability. Wireless sensor networks are a new technology that promises fine grain monitoring in time and space and at a lower cost, than is currently possible. In this paper we built a new sensors network for monitoring the soil moisture and, in a two way wireless communication, decision made for water irrigation will be transmitted to the nodes. The proposed system was proven to be cheap, reliable and simple to use. The effect of the built system on the plants growth and the soil were studied and the increase in the water used efficiency was monitored.