ValenaGrow: A Soil Monitoring and Irrigation System

Using descriptive and developmental research design, the study focused on the development of a prototype for soil monitoring and irrigation with mobile interface to be used at the Cagayan State University at Lal-lo coffee nursery, Lal-lo, Cagayan, Philippines. It sought to determine the practices of the campus in the irrigation of seedlings, identify issues and gaps of the current irrigation practices, and propose a practical solution through application of emerging technology for smart irrigation. Interviews with faculty members of the College of Agriculture were conducted to determine the inputs in regard to the conceptual paradigm of the study. Using Arduino microcontroller, Wi-Fi module, sensors, and switches, the automated soil moisture monitoring and irrigation system prototype was developed. Using Agile methodology, the mobile application was designed for control and customization. Fifteen (15) system evaluators and end users evaluated the developed project. Findings show that the project is compliant to a great extent with ISO 25010:2011 criteria. The project supports sustainability in agriculture particularly coffee production by increasing productivity through technology-based innovation.