Soil Moisture Measurement Using Sensor Based on Cloud IoT

Agriculture is a cornerstone of the Indian economy, with approximately 58% of rural households relying on it as their primary livelihood. Soil moisture is a critical factor in agriculture, affecting plant health, irrigation requirements, and overall crop productivity. Traditional soil moisture measurement methods are often costly and complex, making them less accessible for small-scale farmers and environmental observation. Real-time value of soil parameters like temperature, moisture content, and humidity is crucial for maximizing agricultural production while minimizing costs. The arrival of the Internet of Things (loT) with low-cost microcontrollers like the ESP32 offers a promising solution for developing affordable and efficient soil moisture measurement systems. loT technology enables real-time data collection and analysis by connecting sensors to the internet via Wi-Fi, facilitating better water management in agriculture, environmental monitoring, weather forecasting, and natural resource management. This paper presents a novel, cost-effective, and scalable solution for real-time soil moisture monitoring using an ESP32 microcontroller integrated with a cloud-based Internet of Things (loT) platform. The proposed system provides comprehensive soil health monitoring by measuring moisture content, temperature, humidity, ensuring precision agriculture and sustainable resource management. This integration of loT with Cloud computing-termed ‘Cloud IoT’-c-enhances data security, monitoring, and maintenance while offering flexibility, accessibility, and cost efficiency.