A Review on the Paper: Fuzzy-based Decision

Support Model for Irrigation System

Management
Bianca C. Quizon
College of Engineering, Bulacan State University
Malolos, Bulacan
bncaquizon@gmail.com

Introduction

Water is the source of life for farms. Fuzzy-based decision support system for smart farm water tank
monitoring control is an Automated Irrigation System that will optimize and utilize the amount of water resources to
be used in the smart consumption of water this research is written by John R. Dela Cruz, Renann G. Baldovino,
Francisco B. Culibrina, Argel A. Bandala, Elmer P. Dadios of Gokongwei College of Engineering, De La Salle
University. It has been presented in the 2017 Fifth International Conference on Information and Communication
Technology (ICoICT).

In recent years, the traditional concept of an irrigation project has been changing. From just a physical
structure for the storage, conveyance and distribution of water, it is now being regarded as a more complex system.
The main problem of Irrigation is the scarcity of water resources and the electric consumption of water pumps.

Research Design and Methodology

The Smart Farm Automated Irrigation System is divided into 3 subsystems; Water Tank Monitoring and
Control Subsystem (WTMCS), Open Irrigation Control Subsystem, and Chamber Irrigation Subsystem. An ultrasonic
sensor is attached at the top of the water tank. There are two variables will consider; the water level (L), and Difference
Water Level, through Wireless Personal Area Network these measurements are sent to WTMCS.

WTMCS is responsible for the monitoring and control of farm’s main water tank storage. The main part of
this subsystem is a Fuzzy-based decision support system (FDSS); Fuzzy logic is introduced by Lotfi Zaded in 1965,
a system of logic that simulates the control logic of human in creating decision using multi-valued logic, degree of
membership and rule-based system. The WTMCS, uses L and DL as crisp input. The values for L will be fuzzified by
the subsystem into the following fuzzy sets: Empty (E), Normal (N), and Full (F). Also, the value for DL will be
fuzzified into the following fuzzy sets: Zero (Z), Low (L), and High (H). The output variable, which is the priority
level (PRIO), has 3 fuzzy sets: Low Priority (LP), Medium Priority (MP), High Priority (HP). These output fuzzy sets
will then be defuzzified into a crisp output between 0 and 10 for its priority level. The correlation of these input sets
to the output set is governed by fuzzy interference engine's linguistic rules statements for decision rules. The output
of the WTMCS will be the priority level that will be sent to the Power Management System (PMS), an auxiliary
system in the smart farm that is responsible for determining whether the motor should be turned on, the proper
allocation of electrical resources, including the allocation of power for the motor pump.

The project simulation is limited to into 2 inputs with 3 fuzzy set each, it is possible to enumerate all possible
rules, the problem is for larger number of inputs and fuzzy sets. This problem can be solved by fuzzy associative
memory (FAM) to understand the rules.

Interpretation of Findings

The method was put into trial using the MATLAB Fuzzy Logic Toolbox or Fuzzy Interference System (FIS)
simulation to test its effectivity. Using L and Dl as the crisp inputs, it produces Fuzzy Surface Output (FSO) or Surface
Viewer that summarizes the relationships of the input and output values based on the response on the system. From
these findings it can be conclude that WTMCS optimizes the water and electrical resources distribution to the farm.
However, this result is limited to MATLAB simulation only, actual application or procedure is not yet conducted.

Writing quality, clarity & style, and the organization of information

The researcher presented the paper in a well-written and well-organized manner, with adequate amount of
information provided for the readers to understand the topic. The researcher used simple and easy to understand words.

Value of the Study

The rationale behind an efficient irrigation program is to reduce water waste caused by deep percolation and
runoff, while supplying the crop with sufficient amount of water as well as the electric power consumption of the
water pump. Therefore, a smart scheduling and efficient irrigation method are considered. The Philippines has about
10.3 million ha agricultural lands. Out of this, around 3.1 million ha are considered irrigable with up to 3% slope, and
primarily devoted to rice and corn. The project proposal utilizes the water irrigation system for more efficient use.

Conclusion

The research offers a wide importance in the field of agriculture, increasing the efficacy of irrigation systems
of farms. However, the project was conducted using only MATHLAB simulation which is a major drawback. The
research should be done in real farms to test its effectiveness and efficiency. Overall, the research is nicely done with
wide range of possibilities for future use.