GSM-Controlled Irrigation System (GSMCIS) for Vegetable Farmers in Ghana

Emmanuel Effah, W. Dorgloh

Abstract


The development of vegetable production in Ghana has largely been reliant on the drip system of irrigation. Presently, irrigation of vegetable farms in Anloga, a town in the Volta region of Ghana has been upgraded to the old tube well system. However, the drip system of irrigation still needs constant vigilance, which is a real problem for farmers who have their farmlands scattered at several kilometres away from their homes. This paper seeks to address the problem by designing and implementing an efficient, cost effective Global System for Mobile Communication (GSM) Controlled Irrigation System (GSMCIS) which will monitor and control the water flow of the drip irrigation through communication with an authorized mobile phone operator via text messages.  The automatic control component of the system is timer based with an Arduino Uno board and a real-time clock from the SIM900 GSM module. For monitoring purposes, the system sends periodic notification about the humidity sensors planted in the farms and the performance of duty via SMS to the authorized person(s). Moreover, the GSMCIS saves time, labour and reduces cost of operation by easy monitoring and controlling of the farm no matter the distance. GSMCIS is recommended for farmers to monitor their farms in the comfort of their homes.

Keywords: Reduction, Water Wastages, Arduino, DHT Temperature Sensor


Keywords


Reduction; Water wastages; DHT Temperature Sensor.

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References


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