Abstract:
Smart fertigation is an innovative approach integrating irrigation and
fertilization management, tailored for greenhouse environments to optimize crop
production and resource utilization. By leveraging advanced technologies such as
Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, automation systems, and data analytics, smart
fertigation systems can precisely monitor and control the delivery of water and
nutrients to plants.
This study investigates the implementation and performance of a smart
fertigation system designed for greenhouse cultivation, utilizing soil NPK sensors
integrated with Arduino technology. The system automates the application of
fertilizers through a micro-irrigation network, ensuring precise nutrient delivery based
on real-time soil nutrient levels. The experiment was conducted in a polyhouse and
compared the growth metrics of cucumber plants subjected to automated fertigation
versus manual fertigation. Results indicate superior plant growth in the automated
system, with noticeable difference in plant height, leaf count, and leaf area index. The
smart fertigation system not only optimizes nutrient use efficiency but also minimizes
labor and fertilizer wastage, representing a substantial advancement in sustainable
agriculture practices. Future research can be done to explore the system's calibration
for diverse soil types and its comparative efficiency in open-field conditions.
