Republic of the Philippines

NUEVA VIZCAYA STATE UNIVERSITY

Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE

_____________________
THESIS
_____________________

ARDUINO-BASED AUTOMATIC WATERING SYSTEM

FOR CUCUMBER PLANT

Angelika T. Angelo
Abigail M. Dingcog
Marie Erika C. Herreria

JULY 2022
 QUALITY FORM FR-INS-07.Rev00
THESIS PROJECT ACCEPTANCE TAS No.:
SHEET ___________________

This thesis project entitled “Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for Cucumber
Plant”, prepared and submitted by Angelika T. Angelo, Abigail M. Dingcog, and Marie Erika
C. Herreria, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree BACHELOR OF
SCIENCE IN COMPUTER SCIENCE (BSCS) is hereby recommended for acceptance.

THESIS PROJECT COMMITTEE

FLORY ANNE D. PATRICIO, MIS

Adviser

ARMILYN H. WAIS, MIT NILDA N. DELA CRUZ, MIT

Member, Panel of Examiners Member, Panel of Examiners

ROMEO P. EVANGELISTA, DIT

Chair, Panel of Examiners

VILCHOR G. PERDIDO, MIT

Chairman, CS Department

ALVIN B. FELIX DENNY B. JAMIL

Research Coordinator Language Editor

Accepted and approved in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Bachelor of
Science in Computer Science (BSCS).

FILEMON A. PAMITTAN, Ph.D

Dean, College of Arts and Sciences

Research Contribution No.: ____ RAMON P. BANGAO JR.

Date: ___ Research MIS Coordinator

ii
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The researchers acknowledge with sincere gratitude and appreciation those who gave

their support and contributed to the successful completion of this paper:

Nueva Vizcaya State University, this school gave us the opportunity to learn and

grow in our chosen profession. If not for this school, this study would be worth nothing.

Dr. Filemon A. Pamittan, The Dean of the College of Arts and Sciences, for

accepting and approving this research paper.

Ms. Nilda N. Dela Cruz and Ms. Armilyn Wais,the research panelists, for

willingly sharing their time and for challenging us to finish this paper.

Ms. Flory Anne D. Patricio, the adviser, for her unending support and

suggestions for improving this study.

To our classmates and friends, for the inspiring moments to finish our papers

together;

To our parents, Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin C. Dingcog Sr., Mr. and Mrs. Eric

Herreria, and Mr. and Mrs. Salvador Angelo, for their all out love, support,

encouragement, and prayers in the accomplishment of this paper;

Above all, to our Almighty Father for the blessings and strength he has given us

throughout our journey to accomplish this paper.

The Researchers

iii
 DEDICATION

This research challenged the researcher’s ability and intellect; thus, we dedicate

this to the people who gave us strength in accomplishing this task.

To our professors and the thesis adviser who generously gave their support,

prayers, and encouragement in this study.

To our families who had given their support, financially and morally.

To our classmates and friends who inspired us and lifted our faith when we

needed encouragement.

To our Alma Mater, who molded us to become responsible and God-fearing

individuals.

Above all, to Almighty God for giving us the courage, patience, and good health

to accomplish this paper.

The Researchers

iv
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page

Title Page ........................................................................................................................i

Thesis Project Acceptance Sheet ....................................................................................ii

Acknowledgement ..........................................................................................................iii

Dedication .......................................................................................................................iv

Table of Contents ............................................................................................................v

List of Tables ..................................................................................................................vii

List of Figures .................................................................................................................viii

Abstract ...........................................................................................................................ix

Chapter 1. THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE ..............

Introduction …………… ……………………………………………………..….1

Review of Related Literature …………………………………………………….3

Conceptual Framework …………………………………………………………..7

Paradigm of the Study …………………………………………………………. ..9

Objectives of the Study …………………………………………………………..9

Significance of the Study ………………………………………………………...9

Scope and Delimitations of the Study …………………………………………...10

Definition of Terms ……………………………………………………………...11

Chapter 2. METHODOLOGY …………………………………………………………

Research Design ………………………………………………………………....12

Participants of the Study ………………………………………………………...20

Instrumentation ………………………………………………………………….21

v
 Data Gathering Procedures ….…………………………………………………..21

Data Analysis ……………………………………………………………………21

Chapter 3. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION ……………………………………………...

Results and Discussion ………………………………………………………….23

Chapter 4. SUMMARY OF FINDINGS, CONCLUSION AND

RECOMMENDATIONS ……………………………………………………..

Summary of Findings ..................................................................... .....................28

Conclusion......................................................................................................…...29
Recommendations ........................................................................................….....29

REFERENCES …………………………………………………………………………30

APPENDICES ………………………………………………………………………….33

CURRICULUM VITAE ……………………………………………………………….35

vi
 LIST OF TABLES

Title Page

1 Hardware Specification 17

2 The Forced Likert Scale 22

3 Evaluation Result 27

vii
 LIST OF FIGURES

Title Page

1 Conceptual Framework of the Study 8

2 Paradigm of the Study 9

3 Rapid Application Development Model 13

4 Arduino Uno R3 14

5 Water Pump 15

6 Soil Moisture Sensor 15

7 Relay 16

8 Battery 17

9 Circuit Diagram 18

10 Arduino IDE 19

11 Flowchart of the System 20

12 Final Prototype 23

13 Project Output 24

14 Soil Moisture Sensor 25

15 Cucumber Plant 26

ABSTRACT

viii
 Agriculture plays a vital role in our country, and soil moisture measurement is of

great importance for applications in agriculture. The watering system is a time-

consuming task for gardeners, especially during summer. Watering by hand is more

difficult; thus, we require effective technologies to address this issue. This project will

benefit the gardeners as it will minimize labor automatically. Information about

cucumbers, watering systems, moisture sensors, and other data needed to improve this

study was gathered from different sources.

Rapid Application Development was used in developing this project, requiring a

series of tests and revisions before it operates. The procedure for the system's

development includes requirements, design, software testing, implementation, and

maintenance. This study involves experimental research. The researchers invited

participants to evaluate the project, employing a treatment to interpret and analyze the

data.

The final design consisted of a microcontroller that controlled the system, water

pump, soil moisture sensor, micro drip, and a cucumber plant on which everything was

tested. This system can be used anywhere from small gardens to larger crop fields to

conserve water. This project aimed to create an Arduino-based Automatic watering

system for cucumber plants. The prototype can efficiently water the plant as needed,

allowing you to control when and how much watering needs to be done. It helps all of

your plants reach their full potential as well.

Keywords: Arduino, Microcontroller, Watering system, Soil Moisture Sensor

ix
 Chapter 1

THE PROBLEM AND REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Introduction

Agriculture plays a vital role in our country. It is the backbone of our economy.

All farming activities like watering fields and cultivating crops are involved in

conventional farming and performed manually (Sukumar et al., 2018). The cucumber

(Cucumis sativus) is a widely used and important vegetable worldwide and a sensitive

plant to water stress. Many irrigation experiments have shown that cucumber is sensitive

to moisture stress (Eliades, 1988) because it has a sparse root system that approximately

85% of the root length is concentrated in the upper 0.3 m soil layer (Randall & Locascio,

1988).

One of the biggest issues when it comes to growing conditions that can cause

cucumber plants to droop is the moisture level in the soil. Drooping is the condition when

cucumber leaves, stems, or vines seem to lose their structure and hydration. An expert

horticulturalist from the Daviess County Extension in Kentucky believes that too much or

too little soil moisture can cause drooping and wilting in cucumber plants (Eric, 2022).

Cucumber plants need at least 1 inch of water per week; however, the amount of water

depends on various factor, such as local climate, the quality of soil, and the method of

irrigation adopted (Gardener, 2022). Cucumber needs an optimal amount of water per

week to thrive and develop an economically good fruit size; however, care should be

taken so as not to overwater the plants.

 Soil moisture measurement is of great importance for applications in the field of

agriculture, allowing farmers to more efficiently manage watering systems. Knowing the

soil’s exact properties, farmers can use less water to grow crops and increase production

and quality, irrigating the plants during the critical periods of their growth (Radman &

Radonjic,2017). The soil’s moisture ranges from 10% to 50%, and the moisture value can

vary before and after the watering. The results obtained from reading the sensor values

are wet, damp, and dry according to the predetermined range value. Wet soil conditions

have a value range of 150 to 350, moist soil conditions range from 351 to 475 and dry

soil conditions have a value of 476 to 1023 (Effendi & Narji, 2022). The moisture content

in the soil is affected by many factors like heat, rain, wind, and the soil’s capability to

hold the excess water on its surface after it has drained. The wilting point is the moisture

level below which the soil cannot hold the excess water, and the plants will wilt and die.

The field capacity and wilting point depend on soil type (Sethumadhavan et al., 2021).

The soil moisture sensor is inserted into the plants’ soil and placed in a water

container from where water will be pumped to the plants. An algorithm has been built out

with threshold values of soil moisture sensors to control the water quantity in the soil

(Taneja & Batia,2017). Arduino is programmed to read the moisture value from the

moisture sensor, and the value obtained is compared with the threshold value. The

controller manages the estimated value instantly and starts the motor that supplies the

water to the plants for a fixed period or until it gets the threshold moisture, then switches

off the motor. Monitoring the soil moisture content of the cucumber plants is a way to

determine if it needs to be watered, and with the help of an automatic watering system

2
programmed to stop when enough water is supplied could be a great help to conserve

water.

This project proposal Arduino Based Automatic watering system for the

Cucumber plant is a great innovation in agriculture technology. It seeks to enhance the

conservation of resources and minimize labor. It will help the farmers or gardeners save

time and effort. In addition, it can help them monitor their crops properly to increase

productivity and produce healthy vegetation.

Review of Related Literature

Microcontroller

The microcontroller receives information from meteorological and electrical

factors. The unit will send commands to sensors such as the soil moisture, which acts as a

parameter. The microcontroller is coded with C/ C++ programming language

(Abdurrahman et al., 2015). About the preceding literature, some researchers indicated

that the data processed in the unit has an output document baseline and changing

environmental parameters (Mathurkar et al., 2014).

Studies have shown that the Arduino microcontroller enables several analog and

digital inputs and outputs to create and read data sensor. It is also open-source electronics

prototyping platform built on flexible, user-friendly hardware and software (Faris, 2014).

Another group of researchers used the microcontroller as the system’s core that controls

the water pump. The microcontroller provides real-time data reading and writing on the

output port (Koprda et al., 2015). Moreover, a different group of researchers stated that

the Arduino microcontroller is a board that receives sensor readings and operates the

3
watering mechanism. It is also a common physical computing platform with various

attractive feature. During the system's development, the researcher coded the program

with the Arduino IDE as a programming environment (Oomori et al., 2011). On the other

hand, the researchers described the Arduino microcontroller as the framework's heart.

The explanation for this is that, the researchers showed that the unit reads data from its

data ports after switching to an advanced frame (Hassan et al., 2015)

Different groups of researchers used various microcontroller units for various

purposes. According to the study, the system used a microcontroller to automate the

process of water pumping in an overhead tank storage system (Ebere et al., 2013). The

next study observed that microcontroller control is carried out based on the measurement

of soil water tension and suction, which are parameters directly connected to soil

moisture content (Getu & Attia, 2015). According to the study, the ATmega328

microcontroller is programmed to sense the moisture content of the plants and provide

water as needed. The Arduino Uno's ATmega328 is pre-programmed with a boot loader

that allows you to upload new code without an external hardware programmer (Devika et

al., 2014).

Sensor

The sensor will provide data to the microcontroller; several types of sensors exist.

The Soil Moisture Sensor is one of them. It is a probe with electrodes put into the soil and

transmits information about the environment's water content to an irrigation controller.

The moisture sensor will detect the soil's water content using a pair of stainless-steel

probes (Abdurrahman et al., 2015). A moisture sensor can measure the resistance

between two copper bars or small copper boards (Oomori et al., 2011). A soil moisture

4
probe comprising several sensors inserted into the soil to measure the moisture content

(Divani et al., 2016). It can be embedded in the ground at a suitable depth to accurately

measure the output of the soil's water content and designed to estimate soil volumetric.

Once the soil reaches the specified moisture level, the sensors transmit a signal to

the microcontroller, which activates the relays and, in turn, operates the valves (Vijay,

2012). Based on the dielectric constant of the soil, the soil moisture sensor is designed to

estimate the volumetric water content of the soil (Kumar et al., 2013). The soil's water

content and changes detected by a moisture sensor can be used to open the irrigation

valve or the water pump that controls when the irrigation or the water pump will open

(Hassan et al., 2015). Changes in the environment around the monitoring plant, such as

moisture, will be detected by sensors (Sadasivam et al., 2015). Both probes will provide

volumetric moisture content values, indicating that multi-sensor capacitance probes can

be utilized to properly assess volumetric soil moisture content (Bellamy, 2009).

The system can monitor soil moisture required for plant irrigation and the

intensity of light used in greenhouses, and it may show the results on an LCD. The

system includes everything needed for optimum plant development, including a schedule

for water supply (Getu & Attia, 2015). The researchers need to find a better spot in an

agricultural field region to monitor the soil’s moisture (Nisha, 2014).

Watering system

. The researchers developed a device to help assist in caring for their plants.

Irrigation automation can lead to watering crops/plants/gardens on a regular and

automated basis based on how much water is needed. It conserves both human and

5
electrical energy and ensures adequate water control by reducing water loss

(Abdurrahman et al., 2015).

It has the proper amount of water while watering the plants. If the soil's water

content is low, the plants may wither, while too much water may deprive the plant's roots

of oxygen and cause them to rot. Based on the sensor output, automatic watering can

supply sufficient water to the plants (Al-Bahadly & Thompson, 2015). Watering systems

lessen the effort of providing water to plants when needed (Devika et al., 2014) and

estimate or measure the existing plant before supplying the appropriate amount of water

required by that plant (Divani et al., 2016). The device fully controls it manually and

turns off the electronics (Koprda et al., 2015). The water pump tubes were positioned on

many sides to allow irrigation in zones where watering is needed and they automatically

supply plants with water depending on their needs without needing farmer intervention

(Kumar et al., 2013). The device maintains and controls the required water (Mansour et

al. 2013). There are two types of watering mechanisms: pump-type watering mechanisms

that force water to move by using some form of pumping, and valve-type watering

mechanisms that control the flow of water by using some sort of valve (Oomori et al.,

2011). To supply water from the onboard water tank to the plant, a tiny electrical water

pump is controlled by a relay, and the water pump will open automatically (Aswani,

2012). To open the water pump, the water pump will be controlled by the watering

system. The water is supplied under pressure through a network pipeline and can be

scheduled when the valve will open, such as using a water pump to sprinkle water on the

plant according to a timer that has been set (Rohani, 2012).

6
Synthesis of the Literature

A microcontroller is the core of the system that controls the water pump. The

microcontroller provides real-time data reading and writing on the output port (Koprda et

al., 2015). The Arduino microcontroller is a board that receives sensor readings and

operates the watering mechanism. The system coded the program with the Arduino IDE

as a programming environment (Oomori et al., 2011). Sensor moisture is a probe with

electrodes put into the soil and transmits information about the environment’s water

content to an irrigation controller. A moisture sensor will detect the soil’s water content

using a pair of steel probes (Abdurrahman et al., 2015). Once the soil reaches the

specified moisture level, the sensor transmits a signal to the microcontroller, which

activates the relay that, operates the water pump (Vijay, 2012). If the soil’s water content

is low, the plants may wither, while too much water may deprive the plant’s roots of

oxygen and cause them to rot (Al-Bahadly & Thompson, 2015). Based on the sensor

output, Automatic watering can supply sufficient water to the plants. The device

maintains and controls the required water (Koprda et al., 2015).

Conceptual Framework

Developing the system includes requirements, design and architecture,

development and coding, quality assurance and software testing, implementation and

maintenance, and support. This research, Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for

Cucumber Plant, was referred to as the output. The steps in the development of the

system are illustrated in Figure 1.

7
 Figure 1. Conceptual Framework of the Study

The conceptual framework (Figure 1) shows that the system will include an

Arduino microcontroller, an LCD, a relay, a soil moisture sensor, a battery, a water

pump, and a micro drip. The system demonstrates that the battery is the device's power

supply. The Microcontroller will be the prototype's heart, sending commands to the

sensor and LCD, and the sensor will receive data or status from the soil. The researchers

utilize a soil moisture sensor to check the soil moisture level.If it is low, the Arduino

activates a water pump to deliver water to the plant. The water pump stops automatically

when the device detects sufficient moisture in the soil. A relay acts as a switch for the

water pump, allowing it to turn on and off the system automatically. An LCD will

monitor the moisture level percentage whenever the system turns on or off the pump.

The framework shows the components that will be used from the sensor and will

serve as the input that the soil moisture will detect the water content of the soil. After

gathering the data, the microcontroller will decide whether to continue the process data if

8
the sensor meets its requirements. However, if the sensor does not meet the requirements,

the process will repeat until the required data is met.

Paradigm of the Study

Input Process Output

 Identifying the  Data analysis Arduino-Based

requirements Automatic Plant
 Rapid
Watering System
 Prototype review Application
for Cucumber
Development
 Survey and Plant
Interviews

Figure 2. Paradigm of the Study

Objectives of the Study

The main objective of this project is to develop and design an Arduino-based

automatic watering system that will irrigate the cucumber plant to provide a better

harvest. It comes with the following specific objectives:

1. To develop a prototype for Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for

Cucumber Plant.

2. To detect the current soil moisture level using the prototype.

3. To determine the appropriate amount of water needed for the cucumber plant.

4. To evaluate the prototype that has been developed.

Significance of the Study

This study may prove to be beneficial for the following:

9
 Gardeners. The primary use of this project is to help the gardeners with their

routine of watering their crops, which is very helpful as it lessens their work as gardeners.

Farm production. This study fosters diversity in farm production and benefits

the farmers and those living in the barn. Animals would also benefit when the soil is

good. The plants will also be healthy, so the animals living in them will be fatter than

ever.

Community. Many people choose to produce their plants instead of relying on

supermarkets. The produce watered by hand may be time-consuming and exhausting. The

advantage of this project is that it is simple to install, making it an even better choice.

Future researchers. The result of this study may encourage and help future

researchers to conduct a similar survey or a basis for their research.

Scope and Delimitations of the Study

The study concentrates on watering cucumber plants using a moisture

sensor that activates the water pump automatically. The cucumber plant is watered until

the specified moisture level is reached. The user can adjust the quantity of water needed

for each plant based on their need, and it does not need the use of a highly qualified

individual to control the system. This study shall be limited to no other sensor that will be

implemented except the soil moisture sensor.

10
Definition of Terms

The following terms used in this study are defined conceptually for better understanding:

Arduino. An open-source electronics platform or board and software used to program the

system and serve as the control unit.

Automatic. A machine that operates automatically

Cucumber. A widely-cultivated creeping vine plant in the Cucurbitaceae family that

usually has cylindrical fruits, used as vegetables

C++. A programming language that is being used in microcontrollers.

IDE (Integrated Development Environment). An application that developers use to

create computer programs.

Microcontroller. Embedded inside some other device so that they can control the

features or actions of the project and serve as a control unit

Micro Drip. A device used to irrigate crops to water in a controlled manner, to spread the

water that’ll flow, and to water the plant’s surroundings.

Moisture level. The quantity of water contained in the soil. It will range from 0%-100%.

Moisture sensor. A sensor that measures or estimates the amount of water in the soil.

This sensor can be stationary or portable such as handheld devices.

Rapid application development. A software development methodology that uses

minimal planning in favor of rapid prototyping.

Water Pump. A device that controls when to turn on/off any liquid substance. It is used

to deliver water to the plants and helps suck water to the gallon and withdraw it to

the cucumber.

11
 Chapter 2

METHODOLOGY

This chapter presents the research design, participants, instrumentation process,

data gathering procedures, and data analysis tools employed in data treatment.

Research Design

Developing the Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for Cucumber Plant

was difficult because it required a series of tests and revisions before it operates. The

Rapid Application Development model was used to develop the prototype, which is

incremental. Rapid application development (RAD) describes a software development

method that heavily emphasizes rapid prototyping and iterative delivery. The RAD model

is, therefore, a sharp alternative to the typical waterfall development model, which often

focuses largely on planning and sequential design practices. A prototype is a working

model that is functionally equivalent to a product component. In the RAD model, the

functional modules are developed in parallel as prototypes and are integrated to make the

complete product for faster product delivery. Since there is no detailed preplanning, it is

easier to incorporate the changes within the development process. RAD projects follow

the iterative and incremental model and have small teams comprising developers, domain

experts, customer representatives, and other IT resources working progressively on their

components or prototype.
 Figure 3. Rapid Application Development Model

The Rapid Application Model is shown in Figure 3. It is not about dependent

phases, but rather, it is about simultaneous modular developments and introductions that

allow a faster and better prototype integration. The entire development process has

already been integrated into the planning, and, where necessary, it can be supplemented,

altered, or refined.

Analysis and Quick Design. It is a creational design pattern in software

development. It is used when the type of objects created is determined by a prototypical

instance, which is cloned to produce new objects.

Build, Demonstrate and Refine. One of the essential early steps in the inventing

process is building a prototype, a three-dimensional version of a person’s vision. The

prototype is refined to the point where a solution, or insurmountable problem, is found.

Testing. This step requires testing the prototype to ensure all its moving parts

work together correctly.

Implementation. This is the final step before the finished product goes to

launch.

13
Project Components

The project components described the function of each hardware and software

used by the researchers to construct the study, including the specifications required for it

to perform properly.

Hardware

Figure 4. Arduino Uno R3

Figure 4 shows Arduino Uno. It is a programmable logic controller that will serve

as the project’s brain and send commands to other devices such as sensors and water

pumps. It is a microcontroller board on the Atmega328P. It has 20 digital input /output

pins, a 16 MHz resonator, a USB connection, a power jack, an in-circuit system

programming (ICSP) header, and a reset button. It contains everything needed to support

the microcontroller. Simply connect it to a computer with a USB cable or power it with

AC to DC adapter or battery to start.

14
 Figure 5. Water Pump

Figure 5 shows the Water Pump. The water pump will get the water from the

gallon and sends the water to the plants. The water pump typically enters the pump

through a suction inlet left on the other side of the pump and exits at the right side of the

pump.

Figure 6. Soil Moisture Sensor

15
 Figure 6 shows Soil Moisture Sensor. It detects the water content in the soil, and

the output is generally a signal converted to a human-readable display at the sensor

location. The sensor will get the data from the soil, and after the data is gathered, the

sensor will send the data to the microcontroller that sends a command to the sensor.

These same factors help determine the type of biome present and land suitability for

growing crops. As moisture availability declines, plants’ normal function and growth are

disrupted, and crop yields are reduced. Moreover, as our climate changes, moisture

availability is becoming more variable.

Figure 7. Relay

Figure 7 shows the relay, an electric switch that uses electromagnetism to convert

small electrical stimuli into larger currents. By leveraging weak inputs to power storage

currents, the relay effectively acts as a switch or an amplifier for the electric circuit,

depending on the desired application. It is a highly versatile component that is just as

effective in complex circuits as in simple ones.

16
 Figure 8. Battery
Figure 8 shows that the battery is a device that stores chemical energy and

converts it to electrons from one material(electrode) to another through an external

circuit. The flow of electrons provides an electric current that can be used to do work.

Table 1. Hardware Specification

Hardware Specification
Arduino Uno R3 with  ATmega328P-based Microcontroller
Cable Arduino
 5V Operating Voltage
Soil Moisture Sensor  3.3V to 5V DC Operating Voltage
 15mA Operating Current
Relay  Single-Channel Relay module
 3.75V to 6V Supply voltage
Water pump  DC 12V
 60W
 0.8Mpa Max Output Water pressure
Battery  12V

17
 Figure 9. Circuit Diagram

The circuit diagram shows the connection into GND, VCC, and Input/output pin.

The step-by-step procedure for making the Arduino-based automatic watering system for

the cucumber plant and the connection of the sensor to the Arduino microcontroller:

1. The soil moisture sensor VCC is connected to the positive ports in the breadboard,

and the GND is connected to the negative port. The gathering data output will be the A0

of the Arduino.

18
 2. The LCD is connected to the VCC and GND for the power supply. SDA is

connected to the A4 pin, and SCL is connected to the A5 pin in the Arduino, which

synchronizes the data transfer between the devices on the I2C bus.

3. The relay is connected to the GND and VCC for the power supply, and IN is

connected to 2 pins in the Arduino that control the relay.

4. The Arduino Uno is connected to the laptop using a USB cable that supplies the

power for the entire project of the researchers.

Software

The software used to create the watering system function is the Arduino IDE,

which contains a text editor for writing code that can be used in Arduino Uno. The

programming language that is compatible with Arduino IDE is the c++ language.

Figure 10. Arduino IDE

19
 Figure 11. Flowchart of the System

Figure 11 shows the flowchart of the system. The battery serves as the power

supply of the system. A soil moisture sensor is used to measure the volumetric water

content of the soil that is connected to Arduino Uno. If the Soil moisture sensor detects

that the plant is dry, it will start watering, and if the soil moisture sensor reaches the

water amount needed, it will stop watering.

Participants of the Study

The researcher invited 10 participants in this study who are gardeners of the

municipality of Kasibu, in the province of Nueva Vizcaya. The participant evaluated the

project Arduino Based Automatic Watering System for Cucumber Plant. Those who were

knowledgeable about watering cucumber plants recommended enhancing the researcher's

project.

20
Instrumentation

This study involved an experimental type of research. The researchers gathered

this idea from the concept gathered through the online community. The researchers also

used a questionnaire checklist and interviews to prove that the system has significance for

every garden owner of the cucumber plant.

Data Gathering Procedures

The researchers set up a mini garden where the cucumber plant and prototype

were evaluated. The researchers prepared an evaluation form for the ten gardeners to

evaluate the prototype and conducted tests to improve the cucumber plant. The

researchers obtained the data needed about the cucumber plant and watering system using

a moisture sensor that is relevant to the study.

Data Analysis

Frequency and Weighted Mean. These statistical tools were used to determine the

average degree of the opinion of the respondents on the Arduino-Based Automatic

Watering System for Cucumber Plants.

To interpret and analyze the data, the researcher employed the following

statistical treatment to interpret the output’s evaluation.

y = (∑F(×))/(∑n)

Where:

y = Weighted Mean

x = Weight

F = Frequency

n = Number of Respondents

21
Rating Scale

The responses to questions in the given variables were scaled using the “forced

Likert scale” and given weight as follows.

Table 2. The Forced Likert Scale

Scale Range Interpretation

4 3.51 to 4.50 Strongly Agree

3 2.51 to 3.50 Agree

2 1.51 to 2.50 Disagree

1 1.00 to 1.50 Strongly Disagree

22
 Chapter 3

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This research was conducted to achieve the three main objectives in the previous

chapter. The results for each area were elaborated and discussed throughout this chapter.

The results are presented according to the three main areas of concern:

 To develop a prototype Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for the

Cucumber Plant

 To detect the current soil moisture level

 To determine the appropriate amount of water needed by the cucumber plant.

 To evaluate the prototype that has been developed

Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for Cucumber Plant

Figure 12. Final Prototype

 Figure 12 illustrates the hardware structure of the Arduino-based Automatic

Watering System for Cucumber Plant, which shows where the sensors are located and

how the microcontroller is connected to the sensor and the water pump. The Arduino Uno

microcontroller, Soil Moisture Sensor, Relay, Water Pump, and LCD were used to create

the Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for Cucumber Plant.

Figure 13. Project Output

Figure 13 shows the final output of this project. The prototype can water the plant

automatically based on the water content of the soil of the surroundings, and the

prototype is developed using hardware for the prototype and software. The soil moisture

sensor is inserted into the soil of the cucumber plant, and the water container is placed

where water will be pumped into the plants. Arduino-based automatic watering system

for cucumber plants senses the soil’s moisture level. If the soil gets dry, the sensor senses

a low moisture level and automatically switches on the water pump to supply water to the

plant. As plants get sufficient water and the soil gets wet, the sensor senses enough

moisture in the soil. After which, the water pump will automatically stop.

24
Detection of Soil Moisture Level

Figure 14. Soil Moisture Sensor

The Arduino-based Automatic watering system for cucumber plants project can

detect soil moisture using the sensor inserted in the plant's soil, as shown in figure 14.

The soil moisture sensor is a simple device for monitoring soil moisture that includes a

probe that collects data from the soil and sends it to the microcontroller. The project's

limitation is that the user can manually open the pump if the sensor fails to read the data

accurately. The researchers only used one soil moisture sensor in the project, and it

cannot detect the water content of the soil; if the soil area is too large, the only solution is

to use more sensors for the soil, and the project has no water level sensor. If the water

from the gallon is empty, the user will not be notified to refill the water. The user has to

check the gallon always to see if there is still enough water for the plants.

25
 Plant A Plant B

Figure 15. Cucumber Plant

We conducted a test to define the appropriate amount of water needed by the

cucumber plant, and we put different amounts of water from two different cucumber

plants. For plant A we programmed the sensor at a 10% - 80% soil moisture level, while

Plant B was programmed to have a 10% - 50% soil moisture level. As shown in Figure

15, plant A has grown to have greener leaves, firm stems, and well-developed root

systems, while plant B has withered and seemed unhealthy.

Project Evaluation

The researchers created a questionnaire form for the Arduino-based automatic

watering system for cucumber plants. They gave the form to the gardeners of the

cucumber plants to evaluate the prototype.

26
Table 3. Evaluation Result

Rating Scale Overall

Indicator
(4) (3) (2) (1) WM DE
5 5 0 0
The prototype is user-friendly. 3.5 A
(20) (15) (0) (0)
Reliable for dealing with the soil moisture. 5 5 0 0
3.5 A
(20) (15) (0) (0)
The water is effectively managed and 6 4 0 0
allowed to flow. 3.6 SA
(24) (12) (0) (0)
The prototype can accommodate/water all 3 5 2 0
the plants. 3.1 A
(12) (15) (4) (0)
The moisture sensor can truly determine the 4 6 0 0
amount of water needed. 3.4 A
(16) (18) (0) (0)
The prototype can function very well 4 5 1 0
3.3 SA
(16) (15) (2) (0)
The prototype cam automatically detects if 4 6 0 0
the plants need water. 3.4 A
(16) (18) (0) (0)
The prototype works and maintains itself 5 4 1 0
with minimal human intervention. 3.4 A
(20) (12) (2) (0)
The prototype helps the farmers to lessen 6 4 0 0
their time to water their plants. 3.6 SA
(24) (12) (0) (0)
Overall Weight Mean Rating 3.42 A
Table 3 shows the overall weight mean and descriptive equivalent in evaluating

the project. The average obtained by the researcher from the ten respondents is 3.42,

which means the respondents “agree” to the efficiency of the prototype. Therefore, the

Arduino-Based Automatic Watering System for Cucumber Plant meets the target

requirement.

27
 Chapter 4

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS

This chapter summarizes the findings and presents the conclusions and

recommendations drawn from the study.

Summary of Findings based on the Objective of the Study

The following is a summary of the results of the study based on the test and

evaluations conducted on the performance of the system:

1. The use of an Arduino-based Automatic watering system for cucumber

plants gives the optimum amount of water to the cucumber plant. The prototype senses

the soil’s moisture level and water the plant based on the moisture content of the soil

2. The researchers used moisture sensor to detect the soil moisture level

which is inserted in the plant's soil. The detection of the moisture level of the cucumber

plant depends on the given program to the moisture sensor.

3. The result of the tests conducted determined that the maximum amount of

moisture level (by percentage) needed by the cucumber plant is 80%, and the lowest

moisture level is 10%.

4. The use of this prototype helps the gardeners save time and effort watering

the cucumber plants.

Conclusion

The findings of this study indicate that the Arduino-based Automatic Watering

System for Cucumber plant solves the problem of manual watering. It saves time and

helps plants reach their full potential and conserve water with increased accuracy in water

distribution to the cucumber plant. This project includes monitoring soil moisture and

supplying water uniformly to the plants using drip irrigation.

Recommendations

Based on the findings and conclusions made, the researcher recommends the

following:

1. Future improvements can control the plant watering system via WIFI

Bluetooth. The gardeners may use a mobile phone to control the system with Wi-Fi

Bluetooth.

2. It is recommended to add more soil moisture sensor to maximize the whole

space of the soil and detects the water properly in the soil.

3. Future enhancement can be used to notify the user via SMS. The system will

notify the gardeners if the plants are already watered.

4. Upgrade to a higher class of technology is recommended.

29
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32
 APPENDICES

Appendix A. Interview Guide Questions

Name: ______________________ Address: ________________

1. What is your frequent problem in

planting cucumbers? Does watering it
become one of your problems?
2. Does it take much time to water
cucumbers?
3. Do you hire people to work on watering
cucumbers? If yes, how many?
4. What equipment do you usually use in
watering cucumbers? Is it expensive?
5. When do you often plant cucumber? Is
it at any time of the year? Does it prefer
sunny or rainy days for better production?
6. How much water does a cucumber
need? Does it need to be wet, moist, or
dry? When you rate the water level in
percentage, how much percent does a
cucumber need?
7. Is watering the cucumber one of the
reasons to prolong work? Is it costly?
8. Are cucumbers dying because of
improper watering method?
9. Does it need to be watered regularly and
maintain its soil moisture for a better
result?
10. What can you advise us about better
plant watering as a researcher?

33
 Appendix B
(Evaluation Form)

Name: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________

Arduino-based Automatic Watering Strongly Agree Disagree Strongly

agree Disagree
System for Cucumber Plant. (4) (3) (2) (1)
The prototype is user-friendly.

Reliable in dealing with soil moisture.

The water is effectively managed and

allowed to flow.
The prototype can accommodate/water
all the plants.
The moisture sensor can truly
determine the amount of water needed.
The prototype can automatically detect
if the plants need water.
The prototype can function very well.

The prototype works and maintains

itself with minimal human
intervention.
The prototype helps the farmers to
lessen their time to water their plants.

34
 Appendix C
CURRICULUM VITAE

Angelika T. Angelo
Vista Alegre, Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
astolentino@nvsu.edu.ph

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birthdate : August 17, 1998
Place of Birth : Bayombong, Nueva Vizcaya
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Roman Catholic

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Baccalaureate : Nueva Vizcaya State University
Secondary : Nueva vizcaya GeneralComprehensive
HighSchool
Elementary : Bayombong South Elementary School

Seminars Attended
Microsoft Security, Compliance and Identity Master class
AWS Discovery Day-An Official Introduction to the Core
Concepts of the Cloud and AWS
5 Disruptive Trends Impacting the Project Management Domain
Learn the 5 Pillars of CompTia
Advance Security and Master the New CASP Exam
Managing Cisco Secure Workload
Architecting on AWS Master Best Practices in 30 minutes
Microsoft Azure Administrator Master ClassHow to deploy
Microsoft 365 Apps And workloads.

I hereby certify that the above information is true and

correct to the best of my knowledge and ability.

Angelika T. Angelo
Name

35
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Abigail M. Dingcog
Macalong, Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya
Amdingcog@nvsu.edu.ph

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birthdate : October 13, 1999
Place of Birth : Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Roman Catholic

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Baccalaureate : Nueva Vizcaya State University
Secondary : Kongkong Valley National HighSchool
Elementary : Kongkong Elementary School

Seminars Attended
Webinar Training on Cyber Safety Overview 08/14/2021
C++ Training for Beginners 08/25/2021
Basic Electricity and Microsoft Office Tips 09/04/2021
Cyber Security Fundamentals 09/04/2021
Secure Way of Using Smartphones 09/08 2021
Emotional Wellbeing in a Digital Space 09/10/2021
Basic Computer Repair and JAVA Programming 09/11/2021
Creating Posters and Newsletters with Microsoft 09/14/2021
Publisher

I hereby certify that the above information is true and

correct to the best of my knowledge and ability.

Abigial M. Dingcog
Name

36
 CURRICULUM VITAE

Marie Erika C. Herreria

Calaocan,Bambang, Nueva Vizcaya
mcherreria@nvsu.edu.ph

PERSONAL INFORMATION
Birthdate : June 20, 2000
Place of Birth : Tayug, Pangasinan
Civil Status : Single
Religion : Born Again

EDUCATIONAL ATTAINMENT
Baccalaureate : Nueva Vizcaya State University
Secondary : Rosales National High School
Pangasinan State University
Elementary : Samon Elementary School

Seminars Attended
Cyber Security Technologies 09/13/2021
Demystifying Artificial Intelligence 09/14/2021
Cyber Safety Overview and Tips 09/14/2021
The Danger of Social Engineering 10/02/2021
The Rise of Phishing Attack 10/11/2021
Basic Computer Repair 10/11/2021
Social Media Vulnerability: 10/18/2021
Spotting Fake News
Web Development 10/18/2021
I hereby certify that the above information is true and
correct to the best of my knowledge and ability.

Marie Erika C. Herreria

Name

37