Design, development, and evaluation of a low-cost smart solar-powered weather station for use in agricultural environments

• The study develops a cost-effective, solar-powered weather station for agricultural applications. • The intelligent weather station precisely measures the most important weather parameters for agriculture. • The system accurately records solar radiation with a high R² = 0.9895, ensuring reliable data. • Humidity measurements show high accuracy with R² = 0.9995 compared to nearby stations. • With a price of $170, this station offers a cost-effective solution without significant loss of data accuracy. Understanding climatic conditions is crucial for various scientific disciplines and practical applications, especially in tropical regions where weather patterns exhibit considerable spatial and temporal variability. The advent of precision agriculture emphasizes the need for improved weather monitoring systems in agricultural fields. This study presents a novel, low-cost smart solar-powered weather station that utilizes internet of things technology and is tailored to the needs of agriculture. The weather station records a range of agricultural data, including air temperature, humidity, air pressure, wind speed and direction, solar radiation, and precipitation. Performance evaluation against Chitgar and Mehrabad meteorological stations showed strong correlations for temperature (R² > 0.99, 0.94), humidity (R² > 0.98, 0.88), and rainfall (R² > 0.99), with Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 0.21 °C, 1.6 %, and 0.3 m/s for temperature, humidity, and wind speed, respectively. The solar radiation sensor, built using a low-cost solar cell ($4), demonstrated high accuracy (R² = 0.9895, F-value = 0.82, p-value = 0.36) compared to commercial pyranometers ($80–$180). Results confirm an average accuracy of 85.26 % and precision of 85.04 %, making the system a reliable and affordable alternative to commercial weather stations priced at $500–$1800. The system operates efficiently on a 3000mAh battery, sustaining 17 h without sunlight and providing real-time monitoring via a web-based interface. This research highlights a cost-effective and accurate weather monitoring solution. In addition to standard weather parameters, the system also collects important agricultural data such as soil moisture and air quality. This comprehensive information allows farmers to optimize irrigation, cropping strategies and overall farm operations, ultimately leading to bountiful harvests.