Development of an IoT prototype for automated irrigation in sustainable agricultural greenhouses
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24054/rcta.v2i48.4510Keywords:
automation, greenhouses, internet of things, prototype, sustainable agricultureAbstract
Precision agriculture requires technological solutions that optimize water use and improve the monitoring of environmental variables in protected cropping systems. This study presents the design, implementation, and validation of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based prototype for automatic irrigation monitoring and control in a greenhouse dedicated to cilantro (Coriandrum sativum L.) cultivation. The proposed architecture integrates an ESP32 microcontroller as the central processing unit, DHT22 and DHT11 sensors for temperature and relative humidity measurement, an Autonics TK4S PID controller for thermal regulation, a DS1302 real-time clock (RTC) module for scheduling irrigation events, and an embedded web server that enables system monitoring and configuration through a local wireless network without relying on cloud-based services. Experimental validation was conducted over a continuous 24-hour period under both controlled and representative operating conditions, with environmental data acquired every five minutes and stored on an hourly basis. The results demonstrated stable system performance, achieving 100% availability, a solenoid valve response time of less than one second, no communication failures, and successful execution of all scheduled irrigation events. Environmental variables remained within suitable ranges for cilantro cultivation, with temperatures between 23.3 °C and 23.6 °C and relative humidity values ranging from 80% to 84%. Furthermore, comparison with a conventional irrigation strategy showed a 25.2% reduction in water consumption, a 37.5% decrease in the number of irrigation events, and a 25% reduction in pumping time. These findings demonstrate the technical feasibility of the proposed IoT architecture as a cost-effective solution for improving water-use efficiency and automated environmental monitoring in protected agriculture systems.
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