IoT-Based Real-Time Crop Drying and Storage Monitoring System

Abstract

Maize flour obtained from the dried corn is one of the most consumed foods in Rwanda. It is imperative that this should be healthy and risk-free for a safe consumption. Therefore, it is vital to keep track of the environmental conditions during the drying process and the characteristics that exist inside maize storage containers. In Rwanda, traditional methods are most commonly used by maize farmers for drying and storage purposes, where no smart system is being used to monitor the environmental conditions under which the maize grains are dried and stored. This mostly affects the quality of maize and flour being produced which will finally affect food security. In this research, temperature, humidity, and light sensors are deployed in the grain storage containers for environmental parameter detection purposes to achieve the primary goal of providing practical, secure, and easily accessible storage in inclement weather. Temperature and humidity are two factors that have an impact on grain quality while in storage. The ThingSpeak platform has been used to help farmers monitor the drying and storing conditions of the maize on a real-time basis. A global system for mobile (GSM) communication module is used to notify farmers by sending a short message in case of critical drying or storing environmental parameters under which the maize grains are stored. The result is shown in the form of humidity, temperature, and light graphs which are displayed on the ThingSpeak platform in real-time mode.