Intelligent Water Saving Irrigation System Based on Moisture Sensors and Modelling

To address the problem of water scarcity in the Huang-Huai-Hai region, this study proposed an intelligent water-saving irrigation control system based on soil moisture sensors and modeling technology. In this study, the irrigation system consists of irrigation model and hardware. Irrigation amount calculation models were developed using soil components and sensor data as model input based on the soil-plant-atmosphere continuum’s water transport and balance mechanism. Hardware includes functional modules such as irrigation and head control, and the core controller, developed using a microcontroller, controls the equipment and interacts with the data through multiple communication buses. In the irrigation control process, the irrigation head system uses core controller to manage the peripheral electrical equipment and frequency converter, achieving precise control of the head facilities and equipment. The rotational irrigation zone control employs power line carrier waves and LoRa wireless communication to send commands to solenoid valves and other devices for switching between rotational zones. The results showed that, compared with the local traditional irrigation method, wheat yield under this system increased by 8.41%, and maize yield increased by 0.99%. This novel irrigation system can improve irrigation water use efficiency and promote the sustainable development of agriculture.