Performance Evaluation of a Solar Powered Smart Irrigation Control Kit

Abstract

To evaluate the performance of the smart irrigation systems installed in two different areas (MUARIK and Buswekera) each on a 50m2 drip irrigation system area for increased irrigation efficiency, soil characterization for the two areas, calibration of the low-cost resistive soil moisture sensors and validation of the system were carried out. The experiment included uploading updated programs written in C++ language using Arduino ide, use of gravimetric method as the standard method for obtaining the moisture contents in the calibration and validation exercise. Soils at MUARIK were found to have a Sandy Clay Loam textural class that showed a lower sensor precision level of 0.7711 R2 value in the calibration linear regression trendline. Buswekera had a silty loam textural class soil type with a higher precision level of 0.8596 R2value. The t-test for two samples assuming equal variance revealed no significant difference between the volumetric moisture content and the system detected moisture contents for both MUARIK and Buswekera project sites. The systems triggered the irrigation to the required amounts in the fields with higher sensitivity level in Buswekera, Hoima. Therefore, the smart irrigation system evaluated performs better in less transient soil types