Objectives:
After completing this lesson, students will be able to:
• Understand the benefits of using an Arduino board with water-level and soil moisture
sensors to optimize water usage and improve crop yields in agriculture.
• Connect an Arduino board with sensors (water-level, soil moisture), a water pump, relay
module, LCD I2C, RGB LED, buzzer, and other materials to automate watering
processes.
• Write code to read sensor data, control the water pump, and display sensor readings
while setting moisture thresholds and indicating system status using LEDs and buzzers.
Materials:
1. Arduino board 7. Breadboard
2. Water-level sensor 8. Power supply
3. Soil moisture sensor 9. Plastic tubes
4. Water pump 10. LCD I2C module
5. Relay module 11. RGB LED module
6. Jumper wires 12. Buzzer module
Activate Your Prior Knowledge
1. Prompt: How do farmers manage water in drought-prone areas? How do automated
systems help in agriculture?
2. Context: Small-scale farmers in our country face water scarcity. Efficient systems like
Arduino-based irrigation can help conserve water and increase productivity.
3. Example: Using sensors to monitor soil moisture can ensure the right amount of water is
used.
4. Engaging Questions: o Why is it important to avoid overwatering and underwatering? o
How could an automated system save water for farmers?
Key Components:
1. Arduino Integration in Agriculture:
o Connects to water-level and soil moisture sensors to control a water pump.
o Uses relays and LCD displays to automate and monitor irrigation systems.
2. Circuit Design:
o The sensors detect water levels and soil moisture to trigger the water pump.
o An RGB LED and buzzer provide visual and audio feedback on system status.
o LCD I2C module displays real-time data on water levels and soil moisture.
Key Programming:
1. Assembly Steps:
o Set up Arduino with water-level and soil moisture sensors.
o Connect relay module, water pump, RGB LED, buzzer, and LCD I2C module.
2. Code:
// Required Libraries
#include <Wire.h>
#include <LiquidCrystal_I2C.h>
// Pin Assignments
int waterLevelSensor = A1;
int soilMoistureSensor = A0;
int relayPin = 3;
int buzzerPin = 8;
int ledRedPin = 5;
int ledGreenPin = 6;
int ledBluePin = 9;
// Water Thresholds
int soilThreshold = 500;
int waterThreshold = 300;
// LCD Setup
LiquidCrystal_I2C lcd(0x27, 16, 2);
void setup() {
pinMode(relayPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(buzzerPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledRedPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledGreenPin, OUTPUT);
pinMode(ledBluePin, OUTPUT);
lcd.init(); // Initialize LCD
lcd.backlight(); // Turn on backlight
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.print("Soil Moisture:");
}
void loop() {
int soilMoisture = analogRead(soilMoistureSensor);
int waterLevel = analogRead(waterLevelSensor);
lcd.setCursor(0, 1);
lcd.print(soilMoisture);
// Check water and soil conditions
if (soilMoisture < soilThreshold && waterLevel >
waterThreshold) {
digitalWrite(relayPin, HIGH); // Water pump ON
digitalWrite(ledGreenPin, HIGH); // Green LED ON
tone(buzzerPin, 1000); // Buzzer ON
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.print("Watering...");
} else {
digitalWrite(relayPin, LOW); // Water pump OFF
digitalWrite(ledGreenPin, LOW); // Green LED OFF
noTone(buzzerPin); // Buzzer OFF
lcd.setCursor(0, 0);
lcd.print("No Watering");
}
delay(1000); // Pause for readability
}
Assessment:
Let the students answer the True and False questions and Identification.
Guided Activity:
Objective: Build and test an Arduino-based automated watering system. Steps:
1. Follow the circuit design to connect all components: water-level and soil moisture
sensors, relay, pump, etc.
2. Upload the provided code.
3. Adjust thresholds as per crop requirements and test the system.
Sample Code: Use the code provided under Key Programming Concepts to complete the
guided activity.
Independent Activity
Task: As a farmer, automate watering for three crops with different soil moisture thresholds.
Objective: Gather data on soil moisture levels for onions, tomatoes, and lettuce, and optimize
water use.
Procedure:
• Set up the Arduino system.
• Modify the soil moisture threshold for each crop in the code.
• Record observations for each crop using the data gathered from the sensors.
Plant Water Level Threshold Soil Moisture Threshold Observations
Onions
Tomatoes
Lettuce
Rubrics for grading the activities:
Answer Keys
Assessment:
I. True or False
1. True
2. True
3. False
4. False
5. True
6. False
7. True
8. True
9. False
10. False
II. Identification
1. water level
2. labor
3. water waste
4. programming
5. arid and semi-arid
