Agriculture – Radiant Embedded Solutions

1. Radiant Wide Area Irrigation Automation Systems

Irrigation automation requires control of water applied to parts of the fields. Motorized or solenoid valves are used to control flow to a section of field. The valves are to be turned ON/ OFF at scheduled times to distribute water. The challenge is to make an affordable electronic control system to actuate these valves.

Irrigation Automation

Radiant Wide area IOT Irrigation system is a modular distributed system that has multiple nodes with valve drivers with wireless communication. Each node can control up to 5 valves and each node can be placed at a distance of 100-150 meters in mesh network. All the nodes are powered by built-in batteries that are charged by solar panels. The nodes communicate to a Master node that does the schedule of actuating valve of node. The Master Node is powered by 3 phase and can Start/ Stop an irrigation pump. The Master node also measures the three phase voltages and current and can set safe operating voltages and current. Phase loss detection, over current protection, Dry run protection are built-in with variable parameter setting. The Master node can also control 2 valves. Master node communicates with Cloud by built-in 4G SIM card or an external WIFI router. Cloud Dashboard application as well as Mobile App are provided. Environmental sensors like temperature, humidity, pressure, soil temperature or other sensors can be connected to nodes to log the soil and environmental status.

Complete irrigation control with pump and valve control
Easily expandable by adding additional nodes
No wiring required in field
Ease of replacement/ Servicing
Multiple Schedules can be stored and remotely activated
Field sensor data collection and other IOT applications possible
Supports 4G LTE SIM/ WIFI Router gateway
Optional LORA network enables connectivity in remote area
Can be integrated with Soil moisture measurement, Water demand AI parameters

Cloud Application

The automated irrigation system a cloud-based dashboard for Setting, Scheduling, Operation, Monitoring
Mobile Application
Built-in Web browser for individual Node setting

Institutional Sponsor: ICAR- ACRP Irrigation Water Management, TNAU, Coimbatore. (Contact: Dr. S. Selvakumar)

Master – Pump Controller + 2 Valves+ Communication

This can also be used only as a remote pump controller with all protection and control two valves. Can work with any 4G SIM or a WIFI router.

Self powered Wireless Node Controller +5 Valves+ Sensors

This can also be used only as environmental sensor mesh network for field data collection.. Requires a Master device – without pump controller if used only for networked data collection.

2. Alternate Wetting and Drying (AWD) Sensor

Water requirement of plant depends on the type and stage of plant growth. The growth is better only when we apply water when the plant attains the preferred stress level. It has been researched that alternatively wetting and drying of paddy crop shows better yield and up to 30% reduction in water. The technique is to allow water to drain till 5-15 cm of the ground level (depending on crop and growth stage) and then re-irrigate. This requires measurement of water level below the ground surface.

The following is a simple tool that can be placed in a small pit in paddy field and the electrical conductivity of multiple rods indicate the presence of water. The electronics has possibility of wireless mesh networking and can send the water level information to cloud that control the valves to release water in Automatic irrigation controller.

Sensor enclosure

The perforated section of pipe is placed in the pit dug up in the field. The water seeps through perforations and fill the tube. A sensing mechanism is placed inside the hollow tube.

Sensing Mechanism

The five electrodes are of different depth make connectivity to the alternate current passed through these electrodes (stainless steel).

Electronics

The wires from electrodes are passed through a 1.5 meter pipe and at the end of it electronic circuit with LED’s are placed. The circuit is powered by 1.5V alkaline batteries that are also inserted in the pipe.

3. Automated irrigation/fertigation controller for CEA

Poly houses, Net houses or Green houses are promoted extensively in urban agriculture. These controlled environment structures need to control the environment – humidity and temperature. Several sensors can be incorporated on demand like Co2.

The controller can actuate valves for fertigattion/ irrigation and control lighting, humidifier, exhaust, de-humidifier, sprinkler etc. We can also connect multiple devices in a network for large structures.

Measurement of PH, dissolved oxygen while fertigation in case of hydroponics or aeroponics.

4. Storage Controller- Onion

Agricultural storage systems for Potato was established some 25 years ago. The ware houses to store grains have no climate control and significant losses are reported. However, the fruits and vegetable storage systems are yet to be implemented in India. Some fruits and vegetables require short term cooling environment and vegetables like onion can only be stored economically if systems with assisted natural ventilation is implemented that are of low energy need.

We have developed ‘Onion’ Storage system controller for CTARA, IIT Bombay (Contact.: Neel Nilesh).

The controller has multiple relay outputs for ventilating fan, exhaust, sprinkler for humidifier, de-humidifier etc. The Controller measures temperature, humidity and Co2 of both inside and outside the storage structure and implements algorithms for optimal storage environment.