Capacitance-Based Soil Moisture Sensor for Irrigation Scheduling Application

Abstract

Irrigation is the artificial application of water to the soil that is necessary for the absorption of mineral nutrients by the plants from the soil. It is essential for the general growth of the plants. Too much water in the soil can cause waterlogging that blocks the path where the oxygen comes in. This study will provide a capacitance-based soil moisture sensor that will assist the farmers to determine when is the right time to irrigate the soil so that they can avoid irrigation problems like waterlogging and to maximize the usage of the soil's moisture. It will aim to develop a readout circuit that will detect capacitance changes in the sensor, to determine appropriate methods and theories in order to gather the needed data from the soil, and to develop the device that can operate wirelessly through an end-device. The study shall cover the application of dielectrics as capacitance sensor and wireless technology for flexible monitoring and gathering of data for soil moisture sensing.