Smart fertigation for greenhouse cultivation

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.