Development of smart micro-irrigation system using Arduino Uno for okra cultivation in Bangladesh

Conventional irrigation practices result inasubstantial amount ofwater loss with okra cultivation. Although micro-irrigation can address this issue bydelivering water directly near the rootzone, itrequires manual operation. These issues, however, can beresolved with the introduction ofasmart micro-irrigation system. This study aims todevelop asmart micro-irrigation system for okra, inconjunction with the sub-components ofdrip irrigation, amicrocontroller, and asoil sensor. The experiment was laid out with arandomised complete block design (RCBD) having three treatments: (i) control irrigation (T1), (ii) drip irrigation (T2), and (iii) smart micro-irrigation (T3). The experimental field was irrigated based onsoil moisture regimes inthe crop rootzone. The plant growth, yield, and water use efficiency were assessed toevaluate the system. The results showed nosignificant differences among these treatments (at P< 0.05). The best water usage efficiency (15.98kg·m–3) was observed inthe T3treatment, which also provided about 13.10% water savings compared tothe conventional irrigation. This study indicates that asmart micro-irrigation system could beapromising technology for water-efficient okra cultivation.