Sensor-Based Model Driven Control Strategy for Precision Irrigation

Improving the efficiency of the agricultural irrigation systems substantially contributes to sustainable water management. This improvement can be achieved through an automated irrigation system that includes a real-time control strategy based on the water, soil, and crop relationship. This paper pr...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Camilo Lozoya, Carlos Mendoza, Alberto Aguilar, Armando Román, Rodolfo Castelló
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Hindawi Limited 2016-01-01
Series:Journal of Sensors
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2016/9784071
Description
Summary:Improving the efficiency of the agricultural irrigation systems substantially contributes to sustainable water management. This improvement can be achieved through an automated irrigation system that includes a real-time control strategy based on the water, soil, and crop relationship. This paper presents a model driven control strategy applied to an irrigation system, in order to make an efficient use of water for large crop fields, that is, applying the correct amount of water in the correct place at the right moment. The proposed model uses a predictive algorithm that senses soil moisture and weather variables, to determine optimal amount of water required by the crop. This proposed approach is evaluated against a traditional irrigation system based on the empirical definition of time periods and against a basic soil moisture control system. Results indicate that the use of a model predictive control in an irrigation system achieves a higher efficiency and significantly reduce the water consumption.
ISSN:1687-725X
1687-7268