The moisture content in the soil is one of the primary factors that determine crop health, and any imbalance in the quantity of water could lead to crop destruction.

Thus, constant monitoring is needed to ensure every crop is given water in proportion.

Intending to simplify the process of farming and reduce crop destruction, Madhumuta M, Pavithra G and Sonam A from the ATL of Government Higher Secondary School, Chennai, have come with up with a unique solution, that is both economical and effective.

“Whenever farmers sow seeds in their fields, they need to observe the requirements of each crop manually. For instance, they need to measure the moisture level of the soil and ensure that the plant receives the exact amount of water. It is a hectic task, especially when the farmers are cultivating hundreds of acres of land,” says Madhumita.

The girls, all of whom are students of Class 9, have designed a device ‘Smart Agriculture IoT System’ that can do the monitoring work in a hassle-free manner

What farmers need to do is, to install the device in their farm and set a maximum soil moisture level for each crop variant. The system is integrated with sensors and IOT devices from ATL equipment that could measure humidity, temperature and
light intensity.

Based on the moisture level of the soil, the automated controlling device will pump water when levels are low and stop the flow once the moisture reaches its maximum
level.

The fresh data about the moisture level in each crop will further be sent live to the farmers via a private online channel on their mobile phones every 20 seconds.

By accessing the data, farmers will not only be able to eliminate crop damage but also identify ways in which they can improve the cultivation and watering methods.

In the future, the students hope to add more features to their device, that would help farmers identify crop infection.