COCOASSIST AUTO FEDER: AN AUTOMATED COCONUT FERTILIZER APPLICATION SYSTEM

Coconut cultivation remains a vital agricultural activity in tropical regions, yet fertilizer application around coconut trees still depends heavily on manual labor. Traditional practices involving pit digging, fertilizer placement, and soil covering are labor-intensive, time-consuming, and often inconsistent due to human error and workforce shortages. This project addresses these limitations by developing an automated prototype capable of performing all stages of fertilizer application in a controlled and efficient manner. The prototype integrates mechanical hardware, electronic control systems, and embedded programming to automate the digging, dispensing, and covering operations. A high-torque auger creates the pit, a servo-controlled hopper dispenses fertilizer based on user-defined dosage, and a motorized brush completes soil covering. These components are governed by a microcontroller programmed for precise timing and sequential actuation. The model was constructed using lightweight materials, DC motors, a motor driver, a servo motor, and an Arduino controller. Testing of individual subsystems and the fully integrated system demonstrated consistent pit formation, accurate fertilizer release, and effective soil coverage. The outcomes confirm that automating fertilizer application can reduce labor requirements, improve dosage accuracy, and enhance the overall efficiency of coconut plantation management.