The Implementation of the Internet of Things (IoT) on an Automatic Plant Watering and Fertilizing System Based on Solar Electricity

Abstract This research aimed to design a plant fertilizing and watering system that can be controlled and observed through a smartphone and use the solar electric energy source. The results of this study can ease the work of farmers in terms of energy and cost because they allow the fertilizing and watering processes to run automatically. The system is assembled using the following components: 100WP solar module, 30A solar charge controller, deep-cycle battery, Arduino Uno, ESP8266WiFi, DHT11 sensor, soil moisture sensor, and 12V DC electric solenoid valve. This system works in the following way: if the soil moisture sensor reads that the soil is dry and if the air temperature sensor reads that the air is cool, then the microcontroller will order electric faucets to drain water containing fertilizer to the ground until the soil becomes wet. This system is supported by connection to the Internet so it can be controlled and observed from an Android-based smartphone. The calculation conducted in an economic analysis of the system yielded cost principal of Rp47.6/l and BEP for production of 11,389 l/year.