An IoT-Enabled Smart pH Monitoring and Dispensing System for Precision Agriculture Application

Abstract

Water contamination and land pollution are becoming severe environmental concern worldwide. Constant monitoring of the contaminants is indispensable for keeping the groundwater, freshwater, and land safe for various life forms. In aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems, along with different crucial nutrients like nitrate, phosphate, and sulfur, the optimal pH level plays a significant role in plant and animal growth. Therefore, the demand for a real-time pH monitoring and control system is essential for agricultural and aquaculture applications. This work presents the development of an Internet of Things (IoT)-based pH monitoring system that examines the real-time pH level of rainwater, agricultural land, and aquaculture tanks and accordingly adapts it to the desired level using a dispenser system. Along with pH monitoring, the location-based intelligent sensing system with IoT connectivity is equipped to transmit a warning signal to the concerned authorities in case of heavy acidic rain. IoT-based pH monitoring also facilitates the transmission and reception of data from various remote locations in terms of a swarm intelligent approach. A learning algorithm instructs the NodeMCU-based system and measures the pH level in rainwater samples and marine and agricultural land areas. The performances of the employed sensing system are stable, dependable, and repeatable to be effective in intelligent sensing networks of farming applications.