Design and Realization of an Irrigation System for Greenhouse Agriculture

Design and Realization of an Irrigation System for Greenhouse Agriculture

Abstract

The irrigation system for greenhouse agriculture we have presented as our project is purposely put in place to improve productivity, and to an extend solve the problem of vegetable shortages in our society. The system also helps the constant production of vegetables and fruits throughout the year.

We, therefore, aim at putting in place a system that monitors and control the irrigation process automatically. To achieve this purpose, we have designed a system that functions as follows;

A water sensor is immersed in water to dictate the presence of water in the tank and send signals for other actions to take place in the system. When the soil is dry (detected by the soil moisture sensor), the microcontroller sends a signal to switch ON the motor pump for irrigation and when it is damped a signal is again sent to switch OFF the motor pump.

A liquid crystal display is put to display the states of the various devices in the system. Light-emitting diodes are also used to signal the states of some components in the system.

CHAPTER ONE

GENERAL INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

The irrigation system for greenhouse agriculture I propose to design and realize as a project depends on signals sent to the microcontroller by the soil moisture sensors located at some points in the plot. The water to the system is provided by the efforts of the motor pump which functions according to the signals received by the microcontroller from the sensors.

Pipes are designed with small holes through which water will flow in the plots during the watering process. The operation of the circuit to switch ON or OFF the motor, solely depends on the moisture state of the soil as sensed by the sensors. This is obtained by connecting directly the power source and the sensing source such that the sensing sources create and send signals which activate or de-activate the pump motor.

Employing this method of irrigation in the aforesaid agricultural system, will go a long way to foster crop and vegetable production as well as water management throughout the year. The problem of hunger and food shortages will be regulated through this method of agriculture. I am therefore concerned with the problem of how to automate a system that will provide irrigation in a greenhouse agricultural system.

This has been done manually over the decades but now this proposed system shall be based on automatic control with the use of a microcontroller. This project is literally organized into three chapters. Each chapter is different from the other and is described along with the necessary theory required for proper comprehension.

The first chapter deals with the general introduction, chapter two talks about the literature review of the project, chapter three focuses on the materials and methods used in the project and chapter four is made up of the summary, difficulties encountered and the conclusion.

Research Question

Here we are faced with the question, ‘how to automate an irrigation system for greenhouse agriculture” and the preferred method to be employed. We aim at the end of this study, to find a solution to these problems.

Objectives of the Research

The objectives of this project are outlined as follows;

• To automate an irrigation system that is controlled electrically.
• To help increase to an extent, the productivity vegetable throughout the year.
• To present a low-cost modern technology method for an irrigation system.
• To study, understand and realize the project