Development of affordable ICT solutions for water conservation in agriculture
01 Jan 2015-pp 1-6
TL;DR: Experimental results of studies related to improving irrigation efficiency in Semi arid zones in India, using commercially available ICT solutions and the development of indigenous wireless sensor node and gateway made from open source hardware and software components are presented.
Abstract: Today, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is ubiquitous. It has touched almost all spheres concerning human survival, growth and development. Agriculture is no exception to it. This paper presents the research initiatives towards improving irrigation efficiency through affordable ICT solutions. It presents experimental results of studies related to improving irrigation efficiency in Semi arid zones in India, using commercially available ICT solutions. It compares between simple microirrigation and microirrigation with ICT (irrigation on demand) and establishes that by using ICT in agriculture, we can increase the irrigation efficiencies by a considerable amount. The paper also presents the development of indigenous wireless sensor node and gateway made from open source hardware and software components. The efforts in this regard show, while maintaining comparable performance, a significant reduction in the cost of wireless sensor devices, when compared to commercially available wireless sensor devices, is achieved.
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01 Jul 2017
TL;DR: This paper reviewed blockchain-based concepts associated with ICT-based technology and a model ICT e-agriculture system with a blockchain infrastructure is proposed for use at the local and regional scale and an evaluation tool is presented.
Abstract: Blockchain technology, while still challenged with key limitations, is a transformative Information and Communications Technology (ICT) that has changed our notion of trust. Improved efficiencies for agricultural sustainable development has been demonstrated when ICT-enabled farms have access to knowledge banks and other digital resources. UN FAO-recommended ICT e-agricultural infrastructure components are a confluence of ICT and blockchain technology requirements. When ICT e-agricultural systems with blockchain infrastructure are immutable and distributed ledger systems for record management, baseline agricultural environmental data integrity is safeguarded for those who participate in transparent data management. This paper reviewed blockchain-based concepts associated with ICT-based technology. Moreover, a model ICT e-agriculture system with a blockchain infrastructure is proposed for use at the local and regional scale. To determine context specific technical and social requirements of blockchain technology for ICT e-agriculture systems, an evaluation tool is presented. The proposed system and tool can be evaluated and applied to further developments of e-agriculture systems.
204 citations
19 Jul 2020
38 citations
17 Jan 2017
TL;DR: The way in which ICT can efficiently improve monitoring systems and risk assessments of agricultural environment monitoring is reviewed, as well as the technological and methodological improvements of ICT systems are discussed.
Abstract: In order to guarantee high-quality agricultural products and food safety, efforts must be made to manage and maintain healthy agricultural environments under the myriad of risks that they face. Three central system components of sustainable agricultural management schemes are real-time monitoring, decision-making, and remote access. Information and Communications Technology (ICT) systems are a convenient means of providing both these and other functions, such as wireless sensor networking, mobile phone applications, etc., to agricultural management schemes. ICT systems have significantly improved in recent years and have been widely used in many fields, including environmental monitoring and management. Moreover, ICT could benefit agricultural environment management by providing a platform for collaboration between researchers and stakeholders, thereby improving agricultural practices and environments. This article reviews and discusses the way in which ICT can efficiently improve monitoring systems and risk assessments of agricultural environment monitoring, as well as the technological and methodological improvements of ICT systems. Finally, we develop and apply an ICT system, referred to as the agricultural environment protection system—comprised of a cloud, six E-platforms, three mobile devices, automatic monitoring devices, indigenous wireless sensor nodes, and gateways in agricultural networks—to a case study in the Taoyuan irrigation district, which acts as a pilot area in Taiwan. Through the system, we use all available information from the interdisciplinary structured cloud database to classify the focal area into different agricultural environmental risk zones. We also conducted further analysis based on a hierarchical approach in order to classify the agricultural environments in the study area, to allocate additional sampling with resin packages and mobile devices, as well as to assist decision makers and stakeholders. The main contributions that the system provides include a technical innovation platform (suitable for integrating innovations), economic benefits, and societal benefits.
12 citations
Cites background from "Development of affordable ICT solut..."
...[15] improved irrigation efficiency by developing a system based on ICT systems....
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01 Apr 2017
TL;DR: It is found that the usage and access of Ecuadorian rural population to ICT has increased in recent years, as well as the infrastructure supporting such technology, and it has been identified that Infocentros are the most common place for Internet access in those areas.
Abstract: Agriculture is one of the oldest productive activities of humanity and it is also essential for the sustenance and development of life as we know. Agricultural activity has undergone several changes throughout history, starting as a primitive process at an early stage, going through traditional agriculture and reaching what is called modern agriculture. As for the last one, and specifically when it makes use of ICT (Information and Communication Technology), some characteristics have been identified by means of a literature review in the projects deployed worldwide that allow us to propose a way to classify them into four categories: Projects for education and dissemination of information, for environmental care, for online trading, and for the increasement of production and adding value. It should be noted that almost any project involving agriculture and ICT has a comprehensive approach, but they usually focus on one of the categories previously mentioned. Since one of the goals of this paper is to show the advantages that Infocentros can bring to the agricultural activity in Ecuador in order to become a tool for the deployment of e-agriculture (a concept that involves ICT with the agricultural activity), it is interesting to note that after analyzing official statistics, we have found that the usage and access of Ecuadorian rural population to ICT has increased in recent years, as well as the infrastructure supporting such technology. It has been also identified that Infocentros are the most common place for Internet access in those areas. These facts support the idea that nowadays Infocentros could become a key factor in the deployment of e-agriculture in Ecuador.
3 citations
Cites background from "Development of affordable ICT solut..."
...Also, we can generate computer applications that would allow to schedule and manage production processes [26]; or install cameras to transmit images of crops; allowing an expert (virtual consultant) to make recommendations on them remotely [23]....
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...For this purpose, Ecuador could implement initiatives such as the ones in India, Thailand, Europe, etc. that tend to increase awareness, enhance collaboration, increase adoption of good practices, sharing best practice; and evaluating progress made over time in order to reduce food waste [35] through the use of Internet services....
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...ICT has proved its support to those factors in many projects, such as water savings as high as 18% if we talk about environmental care, while even increasing the production due to irrigation strategies [23]; or if we talk about online trading, for example in Iran “68 per...
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...Therefore, it is necessary to implement projects that make a better use of water, such as the low cost solution presented by Adil et al. that implies the automation of irrigation in agricultural processes in order to reduce water consumption in semi arid areas of India [23]....
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...agricultural processes in order to reduce water consumption in semi arid areas of India [23]....
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01 Jan 2023
TL;DR: In this paper , on-field interventions toward improving irrigation efficiency using cost-effective sensing, control, and information management solutions at an experimental farm at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India are discussed.
Abstract: Today, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) is ubiquitous and has touched almost all spheres concerning human survival, growth, and development. Agriculture and allied activities are no exception to it, which employs more than 50% of the population in India. With increase in populations, requirement of food production increased, transforming rainfed agriculture to mechanized agriculture across India. With high production of crops, resource conservation technologies for soil fertility, electricity, and irrigation water come into picture. The water for irrigation demands effective use strategy; irrigation energy use should be the lowest possible, and the whole framework should be affordable by farmers in developing nations. In this paper, on-field interventions toward improving irrigation efficiency using cost-effective sensing, control, and information management solutions at an experimental farm at Jodhpur, Rajasthan, India are discussed. A pilot involving two irrigation techniques, namely surface and micro-irrigation is used to enumerate these interventions. The results of our experimental studies suggest water savings of up to 35% using ICT, thus transforming into large savings for semi-arid zones. This pilot included organic and inorganic fertigation trials too. This article also sheds light on the affordability of our solution. The solutions elaborated here are found to be up to 25 times cheaper from commercially available options in India.
References
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Book•
01 Jan 1991
TL;DR: In this article, the authors discuss the economics of soil conservation and water pollution economics of cropland irrigation and reclamation, as well as soil conservation soil and water conservation agencies.
Abstract: Conserving soil productivity soil erosion and civilization geologic erosion and sedimentation water erosion and sedimentation wind erosion and deposition predicting soil loss soil surveys and land use planning cropping systems tillage practices for conservation conservation structures vegetating mining and construction sites pasture, range and forest management water conservation drainage of cropland irrigation and reclamation soil and water pollution economics of soil conservation soil and water conservation agencies soil and water conservation around the world.
559 citations
TL;DR: In this article, the satellite positioning system and electronic communication standards are integrated into all procedures connected to precision farming, such as site-specific application of fertilisers, with the resulting cost advantages being quite small.
317 citations
"Development of affordable ICT solut..." refers methods in this paper
...weather data), databases, web services interfaces, analysis and visualization tools [3]....
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TL;DR: In this article, an application of a wireless sensor network for low-cost wireless controlled irrigation solution and real-time monitoring of water content of soil is described, where data acquisition is performed by using solar powered wireless acquisition stations for the purpose of control of valves for irrigation.
Abstract: Irrigation by help of freshwater resources in agricultural areas has a crucial importance. Because of highly increasing demand for freshwater, optimal usage of water resources has been provided with greater extent by automation technology and its apparatus such as solar power, drip irrigation, sensors and remote control. Traditional instrumentation based on discrete and wired solutions, presents many difficulties on measuring and control systems especially over the large geographical areas. This paper describes an application of a wireless sensor network for low-cost wireless controlled irrigation solution and real time monitoring of water content of soil. Data acquisition is performed by using solar powered wireless acquisition stations for the purpose of control of valves for irrigation. The designed system has 3 units namely: base station unit (BSU), valve unit (VU) and sensor unit (SU). The obtained irrigation system not only prevents the moisture stress of trees and salification, but also provides an efficient use of fresh water resource. In addition, the developed irrigation method removes the need for workmanship for flooding irrigation. The designed system was applied to an area of 8 decares in a venue located in central Anatolia for controlling drip irrigation of dwarf cherry trees.
Key words: Wireless soil moisture sensor, irrigation, real time monitoring, drip irrigation, automation.
171 citations
"Development of affordable ICT solut..." refers background in this paper
...Mahir et al [4] had demonstrated an application of wireless sensor network for low-cost wireless controlled irrigation and real time monitoring of water content of the soil....
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors carried out a survey on the information needs of the population living in a cluster of villages in Southern Karnataka, India and highlighted the potential that environment-related information has for the improvement of farming strategies in the face of highly variable conditions.
Abstract: COMMONSense Net (CSN) is an ongoing research project that focuses on the design and implementation of a sensor network for agricultural management in developing countries, with a special emphasis on the resource-poor farmers of semiarid regions. Throughout the year 2004, we carried out a survey on the information needs of the population living in a cluster of villages in Southern Karnataka, India. The results highlighted the potential that environment-related information has for the improvement of farming strategies in the face of highly variable conditions, in particular for risk management strategies (choice of crop varieties, sowing and harvest periods, prevention of pests and diseases, efacient use of irrigation water, etc.). Accordingly, we advocate an original use of information and communication technologies (ICT). Our demand-driven approach for the design of appropriate ICT tools that are targeted at the resource-poor, we believe, is relatively new. In order to go beyond a pure technocratic approach, we adopted an iterative, participatory methodology.
84 citations
"Development of affordable ICT solut..." refers background in this paper
...Pan chard et al [9] have made an attempt to collect real-time dynamic crop, weather and environmental parameters using WSN technology to improve the agricultural potential in the semi-arid tropics of India....
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Posted Content•
TL;DR: Before sensor networks can fulfill their potential as instruments that can be easily deployed by scientists, technical problems must be addressed so that the ratio of computer-scientists to ecologists is one nerd per ten ecologists.
Abstract: Wireless sensor networks can revolutionize soil ecology by providing measurements at temporal and spatial granularities previously impossible. This paper presents a soil monitoring system we developed and deployed at an urban forest in Baltimore as a first step towards realizing this vision. Motes in this network measure and save soil moisture and temperature in situ every minute. Raw measurements are periodically retrieved by a sensor gateway and stored in a central database where calibrated versions are derived and stored. The measurement database is published through Web Services interfaces. In addition, analysis tools let scientists analyze current and historical data and help manage the sensor network. The article describes the system design, what we learned from the deployment, and initial results obtained from the sensors. The system measures soil factors with unprecedented temporal precision. However, the deployment required device-level programming, sensor calibration across space and time, and cross-referencing measurements with external sources. The database, web server, and data analysis design required considerable innovation and expertise. So, the ratio of computer-scientists to ecologists was 3:1. Before sensor networks can fulfill their potential as instruments that can be easily deployed by scientists, these technical problems must be addressed so that the ratio is one nerd per ten ecologists.
50 citations
"Development of affordable ICT solut..." refers background in this paper
...Razvan et al [5] have developed an experimental soil monitor ing wireless sensor network and have deployed it in Baltimore urban forest initially....
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