Vol 02, Issue 01, June 2013 International Journal of Communications Networking System

http://iirpublications.com ISSN: 2278-2427

Automatic Drip Irrigation System

Prof.T.Chandrasekhar J.S.Chakravarthi
C.I.E.T.,Rajahmundry C.I.E.T.,Rajahmundry
assprof@rediffmail.com jsuneelchakravarthi@gmail.com

Abstract:

In the field of agriculture, use of proper method of irrigation is important and it is well known that
irrigation by drip is very economical and efficient. In the conventional drip irrigation system, the farmer
has to keep watch on irrigation timetable, which is different for different crops. The project makes the
irrigation automated. With the use of low cost sensors and the simple circuitry makes this project a low
cost product, which can be bought even by a poor farmer.This project is best suited for places where
water is scares and has to be used in limited quantity. Also, third world countries can afford this simple
and low cost solution for irrigation and obtain good yield on Crops. The heart of the project is the Intel
89c51microcontroller.UART controller that will be used in this project. A 16×2 LCD is connected to the
microcontroller, which displays the humidity level and ambient temperature. Three pushbuttons are
provided to set the limits of humidity for switching the individual solenoid valves controlling the water
flow to the field. The humidity and temperature levels are transmitted at regular time interval to the PC
through the RS232 serial port for data logging and analysis. The humidity sensors are constructed using
aluminum sheets and housed in easily available materials. The aim is to use the readily available material
to construct low cost sensors. Five relays are controlled by the microcontroller through the high current
driver IC, ULN2003. Four relays are provided for controlling four solenoid valves, which controls the
flow of water to four different parts of the field. One relay is used to shut-off the main motor which is
used to pump the water to the field.

Introduction consumes more water or sometimes the water

reaches late due to which the crops get dried.
The continuous increasing demand of the food Water deficiency can be detrimental to plants
requires the rapid improvement in food before visible wilting occurs. Slowed growth
production technology. In a country like India, rate, lighter weight fruit follows slight water
where the economy is mainly based on deficiency. This problem can be perfectly
agriculture and the climatic conditions are rectified if we use automatic micro controller
isotropic, still we are not able to make full use of based drip irrigation system in which the
agricultural resources. The main reason is the irrigation will take place only when there will be
lack of rains & scarcity of land reservoir water. intense requirement of water.
The continuous extraction of water from earth is
reducing the water level due to which lot of land Irrigation system uses valves to turn irrigation
is coming slowly in the zones of un-irrigated ON and OFF. These valves may be easily
land. Another very important reason of this is due automated by using controllers and solenoids.
to unplanned use of water due to which a Automating farm or nursery irrigation allows
significant amount of water goes waste. In the farmers to apply the right amount of water at the
modern drip irrigation systems, the most right time, regardless of the availability of labor
significant advantage is that water is supplied to turn valves on and off. In addition, farmers
near the root zone of the plants drip by drip due using automation equipment are able to reduce
to which a large quantity of water is saved. At the runoff from over watering saturated soils, avoid
present era, the farmers have been using irrigating at the wrong time of day, which will
irrigation technique in India through the manual improve crop performance by ensuring adequate
control in which the farmers irrigate the land at water and nutrients when needed. Automatic
the regular intervals. This process sometimes Drip Irrigation is a valuable tool for accurate soil

Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) 153

Vol 02, Issue 01, June 2013 International Journal of Communications Networking System
http://iirpublications.com ISSN: 2278-2427

moisture control in highly specialized greenhouse of plant root zone. Drip irrigation method is
vegetable production and it is a simple, precise invented by Israelis in 1970s. Water is supplied
method for irrigation. It also helps in time saving, frequently, often daily to maintain favorable soil
removal of human error in adjusting available moisture condition and prevent moisture stress in
soil moisture levels and to maximize their net the plant with proper use of water resources.
profits.

The entire automation work can be divided in

two sections, first is to study the basic
components of irrigation system thoroughly and
then to design and implement the control
circuitry. So we will first see some of the basic
platform of drip irrigation system.

Definition of Irrigation

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to

the soil usually for assisting in growing crops. In
crop production it is mainly used in dry areas and
Figure 1
in periods of rainfall shortfalls, but also to protect
plants against frost.
A wetted profile developed in the plant’s root
zone is as shown in Figure (1). Its shape depends
Types of irrigation:
on soil characteristics. Drip irrigation saves water

because only the plant’s root zone receives

Surface irrigation moisture. Little water is lost to deep percolation

Localized irrigation if the proper amount is applied. Drip irrigation is

Drip Irrigation popular because it can increase yields and
Sprinkler irrigation decrease both water requirements and labor.
Drip irrigation also known as trickle irrigation or Drip irrigation requires about half of the water
microirrigation is an irrigation method which needed by sprinkler or surface irrigation. Lower
minimizes the use of water and fertilizer by operating pressures and flow rates result in
allowing water to drip slowly to the roots of reduced energy costs. A higher degree of water
plants, either onto the soil surface or directly onto control is attainable. Plants can be supplied with
the root zone, through a network of valves, pipes, more precise amounts of water. Disease and
tubing, and emitters insect damage is reduced because plant foliage
stays dry. Operating cost is usually reduced.
Concept of Modern Irrigation System: – The Federations may continue during the irrigation
conventional irrigation methods like overhead process because rows between plants remain dry.
sprinklers, flood type feeding systems usually Fertilizers can be applied through this type of
wet the lower leaves and stem of the plants. The system. This can result in a reduction of fertilizer
entire soil surface is saturated and often stays wet and fertilizer costs. When compared with
long after irrigation is completed. Such condition overhead sprinkler systems, drip irrigation leads
promotes infections by leaf mold fungi. The to less soil and wind erosion. Drip irrigation can
flood type methods consume large amount of be applied under a wide range of field conditions.
water and the area between crop rows remains A typical Drip irrigation assembly is shown in
dry and receives moisture only from incidental figure (2) below.
rainfall. On the contrary the drip or trickle
irrigation is a type of modern irrigation technique
that slowly applies small amounts of water to part

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cycles repeated frequently work best. On sandy

soil, applying water with higher gap emitters lets
the water spread out horizontally better than a
low gap emitter.

e) Elevation: - Variations in elevation can

cause a change in water pressure within the
system. Pressure changes by one pound for every
2.3 foot change in elevation. Pressure-
Figure 2 compensating emitters are designed to work in
areas with large changes in elevation.
Design of Micro controller Based Drip
Irrigation System: – f) Timing: - Watering in a regular scheduled
cycle is essential. On clay soil or hillsides, short
The key elements that should be considered cycles repeated frequently work best to prevent
while designing a mechanical model: -. runoff, erosion and wasted water. In sandy soils,
slow watering using low output emitters is
a) Flow: -You can measure the output of your recommended. Timers help prevent the too-
water supply with a one or five gallon bucket and dry/too-wet cycles that stress plants and retard
a stopwatch. Time how long it takes to fill the their growth. They also allow for watering at
bucket and use that number to calculate how optimum times such as early morning or late
much water is available per hour. Gallons per evening.
minute x 60=number of gallons per hour.
g) Watering Needs: - Plants with different
b) Pressure (The force pushing the flow): – water needs may require their own watering
Most products operate best between 20 and 40 circuits. For example, orchards that get watered
pounds of pressure. Normal household pressure is weekly need a different circuit than a garden that
40-50 pounds. gets watered daily. Plants that are drought
tolerant will need to be watered differently than
c) Water Supply & Quality: - City and well plants requiring a lot of water.
water are easy to filter for drip irrigation
systems. Pond, ditch and some well water have The components of micro controller based drip
special filtering needs. The quality and source of irrigation system are as follows: -
water will dictate the type of filter necessary for
your system. . I) Pump

d) Soil Type and Root Structure: – The soil II) Water Filter
type will dictate how a regular drip of water on
one spot will spread. Sandy soil requires closer III) Flow Meter
emitter spacing as water percolates vertically at a
fast rate and slower horizontally. With a clay soil IV) Control Valve
water tends to spread horizontally, giving a wide
distribution pattern. Emitters can be spaced
V) Chemical Injection Unit
further apart with clay type soil. A loamy type
soil will produce a more even percolation
dispersion of water. Deep-rooted plants can VI) Drip lines with Emitters
handle a wider spacing of emitters, while shallow
rooted plants are most efficiently watered slowly VII) Moisture and Temperature Sensors.
(low gap emitters) with emitters spaced close
together. On clay soil or on a hillside, short

Integrated Intelligent Research (IIR) 155

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VIII) Micro controller Unit (The brain of the

system).

The micro controller unit is now explained in

detail: -

The automated control system consists of

moisture sensors, temperature sensors, Signal
conditioning circuit, Digital to analog converter, Figure 4
LCD Module, Relay driver, solenoid control
valves, etc. The unit is expressed in Figure – (3) The signal send by the sensor is boosted unto the
below. required level by corresponding amplifier stages.
Then the amplified signal is fed to A/D
converters of desired resolution to obtain digital
form of sensed input for microcontroller use.

A 16X1 line LCD module can be used in the

system to monitor current readings of all the
sensors and the current status of respective
valves. The solenoid valves are controlled by
microcontroller though relays. A Chemical
injection unit is used to mix required amount of
fertilizers, pesticides, and nutrients with water,
whenever required. Varying speed of pump
motor can control pressure of water. It can be
Figure 3 obtained with the help of PWM output of
microcontroller unit. A flow meter is attached for
analysis of total water consumed.
The important parameters to be measured for
automation of irrigation system are soil moisture
and temperature. The entire field is first divided The required readings can be transferred to the
in to small sections such that each section should Centralized Computer for further analytical
contain one moisture sensor and a temperature studies, through the serial port present on
sensor. RTD like PT100 can be used as a microcontroller unit. While applying the
temperature sensor while Densitometer can be automation on large fields more than one such
used as the moisture sensor to detect moisture microcontroller unitscan be interfaced to the
contents of soil. These sensors are buried in the Centralized Computer the microcontroller unit
ground at required depth. Once the soil has has in-built timer in it, which operates parallel to
reached desired moisture level the sensors send a sensor system. In case of sensor failure the timer
signal to the micro controller to turn off the turns off the valves after a threshold level of
relays, which control the time, which may prevent the further disaster.
valves. The microcontroller unit may warn the pump
failure or insufficient amount of water input with
the help of flow meter

ADVANTAGES

1 .Are relatively simple to design and install

2. This is very useful to all climatic conditions

any it is economic friendly

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3. This makes increase in productivity and

reduces water consumption.

4. Here we are micro controllers so there is error

free

5. This is safest and no manpower is required.

Permit other yard and garden work to continue
when irrigation is taking place, as only the
immediate plant areas are wet .6. Reduce
soil erosion and nutrient leaching.

6. Reduce the chance of plant disease by keeping

foliage dry.

7. May be concealed to maintain the beauty of

the landscape, and to reduce vandalism and
liability when installed in public areas.

8. Require smaller water sources, for example,

less than half of the water needed for a sprinkler
system.

DISADVANTAGES

1. This is only applicable for large size

farms
2. Equipment is costlier
3. Require frequent maintenance for
efficient operation
4. limited life

CONCLUSION

The Microcontroller based drip irrigation system

proves to be a real time feedback control system
which monitors and controls all the activities of
drip irrigation system efficiently. The present
proposal is a model to modernize the agriculture
industries at a mass scale with optimum
expenditure. Using this system, one can save
manpower, water to improve production and
ultimately profit.

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