9

Chapter II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES

This chapter presents a review of related literature and studies, which are relevant to the

present study. The researcher gathered this literature and studies from professional books,

journals, pamphlets, magazines, and other supplementary sources from the internet, public and

private school libraries. They serve as a frame of reference in the study conducted

Related Literature
This section provides the researcher synthesized literature that is relevant to the current

study. These comes from both foreign and local journals and periodicals.

Foreign
Plenty of research work has been done to improve the performance of the agriculture field.

Shiraz (2017), described an automatic watering system based on a microcontroller.

Additionally, they were able to prevent overwatering already wet soils and avoid watering at the

wrong time of day, which may have harmed or destroyed the crop. This microcontroller-based

system can easily be enhanced by incorporating other current controllers such as Arduino, which

are significantly less expensive but significantly more functional and eliminate the need for an ADC.

And this is a simple yet working system with no user-controlled application.

Rajeshwari (2016), under the framework of his proposed system. It consists of four primary

components: a monitoring unit deployed on the farm, a control unit put in the pump house, a server

mobile stationed near the control unit, and a remote client mobile stationed near the server mobile

station. The monitoring unit, which is installed in the field, continuously monitors critical agricultural

factors such as soil moisture, pH, temperature, and humidity and transmits the data to the mobile
 10

server. The server mobile, which is installed near the control unit in the pump house, analyses the

detected data and makes suitable irrigation decisions.

Moreover, the architecture of the proposed system consists of four major components- a

monitoring unit installed in the farm, a control unit installed in the pump house, a server mobile

placed close to the control unit, and a remote client mobile. The monitoring unit, which is placed in

the field, monitors important agricultural parameters such as soil moisture, soil pH, temperature

and humidity, and transfers the data to the server mobile. The server mobile, which is placed in the

pump house close to the control unit, processes the sensed information and makes appropriate

irrigation decisions.

Singh and Saikia (2016), introduced the design and implementation of an Arduino-Based

Smart Irrigation System. The Arduino-based communication has been created to ease the function,

application, maintenance, and price. The device is fully automated and reliable. Sensors interact

with the website communication system from a large distance in nanoseconds which makes the

user more prolific. The entire system is based on the Arduino which uses an inexpensive

microcontroller; this system can be applied to large areas for a relatively small investment.

Mahesh Reddy and Raghava Rao offer an Android-based Automatic Irrigation System

utilizing a WSN and GPRS Module (2016). The Arduino microcontroller connects with the user via

SMS. The Android automatic system is built; it continuously shows the sensor data in an android

application and on a web page, and the user can turn on/off the motor pump from any location

while receiving an SMS alert via the GSM/GPRS module.

Gavali et al. (2016) created a Wireless Sensor-Based Smart Irrigation System for

Agriculture. Their method includes a sensor for soil moisture and temperature. Each wireless

sensor node was composed of a soil moisture probe, a temperature probe, a data-gathering
 11

microcontroller, and a radio transceiver. A master microcontroller, a radio transceiver, GSM, and a

pump compose the receiver unit. The ZigBee protocol is used to communicate between the

transmitter and receiver units.

Hambarde (2016) created an Android-based Automated Irrigation System on the

Raspberry Pi that efficiently handles the drip irrigation system's activities. Additionally, Ata et al.

(2016) developed a Web-based Automatic Irrigation System utilizing a Wireless Sensor Network

and an Embedded Linux Board. Their study's objective was to remotely control components and

monitor the system using a web page.

Parameswaran (2016) presented an Aurdino-based Internet of Things-based smart

irrigation system. The researcher did not use a Raspberry Pi; rather, he used an Aurdino controller

and did not employ soil moisture sensors.

Thomas (2014) stated that border irrigation is an old irrigation system used in the western

part of a fresh, high bed or row. The depth of water flow is shallow and uniform down the bordered

area. It is a system where a large volume of water was deposit in a defined edge or bay at the top

of the field. Unlike rice/soybean rotations, flooding was used as an irrigation system for soybeans,

the borders have a shallow, uniform water flow and can be used to irrigate soybeans or other crops

when they are small; you do not have a danger submerge. Run the water until it reaches the end of

the field or closer to the end so the entire border is watered out. The soil types of many of the

field’s areas often a cracking clay that helps distribute water. The cracks give a random distribution

of the water and help disrupt the potential for channeling through the border.

According to Bishal Saha (2014), a ZigBee-enabled wireless sensor network is used to

relay soil moisture and temperature values. The data is delivered to a web server through a cellular

network through GPRS. Monitoring data can be accomplished via the internet via a graphical

program.
 12

An Android application could be used to monitor irrigation schedules. Darshna et al. (2014)

pioneered the solar-powered smart irrigation system through advancements in electronic and

electrical engineering. This method conserves electricity by minimizing reliance on grid power, and

solar energy can provide a cost-effective solution for all energy needs. It may be a viable option for

farmers amid the current energy crisis. It optimizes water use by minimizing wastage and

decreases farmers' reliance on human intervention.

According to Lehman (2012) stated that probably no other advancement has been quite as

significant. While the concept of drip irrigation existed well before Israeli statehood, it was

revolutionized by Israeli water engineering. Simcha Blass, who serendipitously discovered that a

slow and balanced drip led to remarkable growth. He created tubing that slowly released water

where it was most efficient and in 1965 Kibbutz Halperin built a whole new industry. Netafin, based

on his invention. Just one recent example of how this method has impacted food supply in different

families in Senegal to reap crops three times a year instead of just once even on infertile land.

The researcher learned that the farmer would detect if the soil is dry and the producer will

release water from the machine throughout the pipes. Evaporation trimmed down and up to one-

fourth of water used is saved, as compared to flood irrigation.

            In the published journal, Palanisami (2011) stated that an irrigation tank is a small reservoir

constructed across the slope of a valley to catch and store water during the rainy season and use it

for irrigation during the dry season. Tank irrigation systems also act as an alternative to pump

projects, where energy availability, energy cost, or ground-water supplies are constraints for

pumping. The distribution of farmers receives inadequate water from tanks. This system has a

special significance to the limited and small-scale farmers who make an enormous number

primarily depending on tank irrigation as these systems are less capital-intensive and have wider
 13

geographical distribution than large projects, it maintains levels of groundwater, and it is a cheap

and traditional method of irrigation.

Local
Ecija, Medalla, Morales, et al (2015), developed a wireless irrigation system that involves

the development and formation of an automatic irrigation system that uses a sensor that

determines soil moisture (by soil moisture sensor), water level indicator also it's a pumping system

that aims to deliver the needed water based on the assigned soil moisture value. Their system is a

prototype design of a microcontroller based on water irrigation which detects soil if watering is

required then the water will be maintained at a constant level. If the specific area is irrigated too

much with water, there are possibilities that the plant may die due to excessive irrigation. The

proposed system uses a microcontroller a platform device called ARDUINO where sensors are

connected in its internal and external ports. Whenever there is a variation in moisture content of the

soil these sensors will determine the change and will give an interrupt signal to the microcontroller

and eventually will send the signal to the relay driver and thus the water pump is now activated.

The irrigation system also includes a water level indicator in the water tank which will indicate the

water capacity of the reservoir itself whether it is low level or high level.

Moreover, the project mentioned above is limited to a small area garden design focuses

primarily on soil moisture content as the basis for the irrigation system, no other sensor will be

implemented, maintenance of the system still requires human intervention to keep irrigation on

course, sensitive to weather condition which may interrupt the effectiveness of the soil moisture

sensor, manual refill of the water tank to store and establish the adequate amount of water enough

for irrigation also study will not cover about Fluid Mechanics.
 14

Related Studies
The synthesized studies had been compiled into foreign and local by the researcher as a

point of reference to the current study. This will give the reader a nutshell on how the project will

run and implemented.

Foreign
Nolz et al (2015) integrated the sensors into a wireless monitoring network to determine

and evaluate calibration functions for the integrated sensors, and compare the measuring range

and the reaction time of both sensor types in a soil layer during drying. The integration of the

sensors into the telemetry network worked well. Data were transmitted over several kilometers and

made available via Internet access.

Christos et al (2014) described the design of an adaptable decision support system and

its integration with a wireless sensor/actuator network to implement autonomous closed-loop

zone-specific irrigation. Using ontology for defining the application logic emphasizes system

flexibility and adaptability and supports the application of automatic inferential and validation

mechanisms. A machine learning process is applied for inducing new rules by analyzing logged

datasets for extracting new knowledge and extending the system ontology to cope.

The development of models and strategies to control the environment of plants started

with the shooting environment, that is, with the climate. One important reason was that

influencing variables such as temperature, humidity, and irradiation or CO2 concentration is

easier to measure and to control.” (Hans P. K, 2014)

From this research, we can see that there are a few factors that need to be

controlled in the environment. The factor that is to be considered is soil moisture and water

level.

Khriji et al (2014) presented a complete irrigation solution for the farmers based on WSN.
 15

The automated irrigation system using low-cost sensor nodes having reduced power consumption

can reduce the water waste and is cost-effective. A node is deployed using Telos B mote and

adequate sensors/actuators. Field nodes are used to detect the level of moisture and temperature

in the soil. Weather nodes monitor the climatic changes, and the nodes connected to actuators

are used to control the opening of the irrigation valve when needed.

Mahir et al (2014) proposed an efficient water usage system by pump power reduction

using a solar-powered drip irrigation system in an orchard. Soil moisture content is analyzed by

Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) to provide even distribution of water for the required location.

This will prevent unnecessary irrigation and reduce the water demand. This system reduces the

orchard’s daily water usage and energy consumption by 38 percentages.

Patil (2014), developed the system that was integrated with sensors into a wireless

monitoring network to determine and evaluate calibration functions for the integrated sensors.

The system compares the measuring range and the reaction time of both sensor types in a soil

layer during drying. Data were transmitted over several kilometers and made available via Internet

access.

Drip irrigation, also known as trickle irrigation, involves pouring water onto the soil at

extremely low rates (2-20 litres/hour) through a network of small diameter plastic pipes equipped

with emitters or drippers. Water is applied near to the plants, wetting only the soil profile in which

the roots grow, as opposed to surface and spray irrigation, which wets the entire soil profile. Drip

irrigation water is applied more frequently (typically every 1-3 days) than other systems, which

results in a very desirable high moisture content in the soil for plants to thrive (Patil, 2014).

Drip irrigation is ideal for a wide variety of soil types. Water must be administered gently on

clay soils to avoid surface water ponding and runoff. Higher emitter discharge rates will be required
 16

on sandy soils to guarantee appropriate lateral wetting of the soil. For general reference table of

broadly applicable “ideal moisture levels” for the three major types of soil is presented.

Soil Type No Irrigation Needed Irrigation to Be Applied

Fine (Clay) 80%-100% 60%-80%
Medium (Loamy) 88%-100% 70%-88%
Coarse (Sandy) 90%-100% 80%-90%
Tested using Delmhorst’s KS-D1 soil moisture meter

Farid et al (2013) presented a practical solution based on an intelligent and effective

system for a field of hyperacidity. The system consists of a feedback FLC that logs key field

parameters through specific sensors and a Zigbee-GPRS remote monitoring and database

platform. The system is deployed in existing drip irrigation systems without any physical

modification. FLC acquires data from these sensors and fuzzy rules are applied to produce

appropriate time and duration for irrigation.

Xin et al (2013) described an autonomous precision irrigation system through the

integration of a center pivot irrigation system with wireless underground sensor networks. The

wireless underground sensor-aided center pivot system will provide autonomous irrigation

management capabilities by monitoring the soil conditions in real-time using wireless underground

sensors. Experiments were conducted with a hydraulic drive and continuous-move center pivot

irrigation system.

Robert (2013) promoted commercial wireless sensing and control networks using valve

control hardware and software. The valve actuation system included the development of

custom node firmware, actuator hardware and firmware, an internet gateway with control, and

communication and web interface software. The system uses a single- hop radio range using

a mesh network with 34 valve actuators for controlling the valves and water meters.

Singh et al (2012) present a solution for an irrigation controller for the cultivation of
 17

vegetable plants based on the fuzzy logic methodology. In this system, the amount of water

given to the plants depends on its size, moisture control of soil, which is affected by the

temperature of the environment, evaporation due to wind velocity, and water budget. The system

feed water to plants in a controlled and optimal way. Solar energy conversion technology is used

to feed power to the pump controller.

Local
 According to Sebastian (2015), stated that the water supply is the process of providing

water in a systematic early through installed pumps and pipelines. Before water is provided to a

specific area it undergoes approximately sanitation to ensure that the quality of water received is

made for human consumption. The Philippines water supply system dates back to 1946 after the

country achieved independence from government agencies.

A manual irrigation system does not promote water conservation that results in too much

water or a too-small amount of water in the soil thus poor plant growth. Automated irrigation

systems are capable of determining and maintaining the right amount of water for the soil. Two

TEG’S were used as the soil moisture sensors (one as the control and the other in the plant area)

that produced voltage differentials proportional to the relative wetness or dryness of the compared

to control the uses of the thermoelectric generator as the soil moisture sensor that uses the

temperature difference between the air and the soil as a basis for irrigation.

Thermoelectric generator as soil moisture requires a relatively constant heat source and

have slow technology progression and have limited applications. But irrigates according to the

proper needs of the soil, thus, saving water consumption and improving water efficiency and use.

According to Dr. Roger A. Luyun Jr., UPLB’s project leader, WAISS is composed of a field

unit and computer software. The field unit comprises three pieces of equipment: a set of soil

moisture sensors, a transmitting data logger, and a 5-volt solar panel. “The sensors are installed
 18

underground where crops are planted and are connected to the transmitting data logger, which

sends the measurement to the software via text message.”

Furthermore, Dr. Luyun said that in the software, “the real-time monitoring of the soil

moisture status of the farm is shown. If the moisture content is within the green area, the soil

moisture condition is at optimum. If in the yellow area, the plant experiences stress, while if the

moisture reaches the red area, the plant is under extreme stress. Negative effects may be

irreversible and productivity is highly affected. WAISS will send irrigation alerts once the moisture

reaches the yellow area. WAISS will continue to send daily irrigation alerts until the farm has been

irrigated.”

The farmer, wherever he is, can know if his farm needs irrigation. Aside from receiving

daily irrigation advisories, he can text WAISS for the STATUS of his farm and the system will

respond accordingly.

Belonio (2011), stated the windpump irrigation system is suitable either for individuals,

groups of farmers, large corporate farms, or even government experiment stations. He said that the

windpump irrigation system is environmentally friendly. No manual operation during stormy periods

and there is no risk of losing the machine even if it is installed and left in the field.

The researcher learned that the Farmers will benefit from using wind pumps for irrigation

purposes. It eliminates the use of imported fossil fuel which is generally expensive. Also, it ensures

a year-round supply of, water, especially during windy periods .