Smart Agriculture System in Tropical Regions Based on Internet of Things

Abstract — A smart agriculture system based on the Internet of Things (IoT) was developed to address agricultural challenges in tropical regions, such as extreme climate changes, drought, and excessive water during rainy seasons. The proposed method employs soil moisture sensors, air temperature and humidity sensors, light intensity sensors, and ultrasonic sensors, integrated with an ESP32 microcontroller and the Blynk platform to monitor and control environmental conditions in real-time. This method was chosen for its efficiency in automated management and its suitability for tropical environments. Testing conducted in a greenhouse with patchouli plants demonstrated positive results, maintaining soil moisture above 70%, temperatures between 24–28°C, and air humidity around 70%. The analysis revealed a 2°C discrepancy between temperature readings from the DHT22 sensor and an analog thermometer, highlighting the need for further calibration to enhance accuracy. The process includes automated irrigation, mist spraying, and lighting control, reducing resource waste while increasing agricultural productivity. This system demonstrates its effectiveness as a technological solution to support sustainable agriculture in tropical regions. Key words— Internet of Things; patchouli plants; smart agriculture; tropical regions; Abstrak — Sistem pertanian cerdas berbasis Internet of Things (IoT) dikembangkan untuk mengatasi tantangan agrikultur di wilayah tropis, seperti perubahan iklim ekstrem, kekeringan, dan kelebihan air. Metode yang digunakan melibatkan sensor kelembaban tanah, suhu, kelembaban udara, intensitas cahaya, serta sensor ultrasonik, yang terintegrasi dengan mikrokontroler ESP32 dan platform Blynk untuk memantau dan mengontrol kondisi lingkungan secara real-time. Metode ini dipilih karena kemampuannya dalam pengelolaan otomatis yang efisien dan sesuai dengan kebutuhan lingkungan tropis. Pengujian pada greenhouse dengan tanaman nilam menunjukkan hasil positif, di mana sistem berhasil menjaga kelembaban tanah di atas 70%, suhu pada 24–28°C, dan kelembaban udara sekitar 70%. Analisis menunjukkan adanya selisih 2°C antara pembacaan suhu oleh sensor DHT22 dan termometer analog, yang menunjukkan perlunya kalibrasi lebih lanjut untuk meningkatkan akurasi. Prosesnya mencakup otomatisasi irigasi, penyemprotan embun, dan pengaturan pencahayaan, yang mengurangi pemborosan sumber daya dan meningkatkan produktivitas pertanian. Sistem ini membuktikan efektivitasnya sebagai solusi teknologi untuk keberlanjutan pertanian tropis. Kata kunci — Internet of Things; pertanian cerdas; tanaman nilam; wilayah tropis