Fuzzy automatic control of the irrigation process for the IoT-based smart farming systems

Abstract

This paper is dedicated to the development and research of the advanced IoT-based fuzzy control system of the irrigation process for smart farming complexes of various types. The proposed automatic control system makes it possible to attain sufficiently high quality indicators of the soil moisture and pH control, which significantly improve the overall efficiency of irrigation processes and, as a result, the processes of growing various plants. In particular, more accurate control of soil moisture and pH allows improving soil microbial activity, optimizing nutrient uptake, increasing water utilization efficiency within the cultivated plants, which directly contribute to increased crop yields and sustainable resource management in agriculture. The designed system is created based on the principles of (a) hierarchical two-level IoT-based control, (b) simple and reliable two-channel fuzzy logic control with high performance and accuracy, as well as (c) easy customization and adaptability for various smart farming complexes. To evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed advanced system, the simulation experiments for automatic control of an irrigation process using the developed fuzzy controllers are carried out in this study at given optimal parameters (soil moisture and pH level) of growing conditions for two different crops: tomato and beet. The analysis of the obtained results of computer simulation shows that the designed system has higher efficiency and quality indicators compared to existing analogs when used for two different crops with significantly different optimal parameters of growing conditions.