301. Development of a LoRaWAN IoT Node with Ion-Selective Electrode Soil Nitrate Sensors for Precision Agriculture.
- Author
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Bristow, Noel, Rengaraj, Saravanan, Chadwick, David R., Kettle, Jeff, and Jones, Davey L.
- Subjects
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PRECISION farming , *SOILS , *INTERNET of things , *NITRATES , *DETECTORS - Abstract
Crop productivity is highly dependent on the availability of soluble nitrogen (N), e.g. nitrate, in soil. When N levels are low, fertilisers are applied to replenish the soil's reserves. Typically the timing of these applications is based on paper-based guidance and sensor-based measurements of canopy greenness, which provides an indirect measure of soil N status. However this approach often means that N fertiliser is applied inappropriately or too late, resulting in excess N being lost to the environment, or too little N to meet crop demand. To promote greater N use efficiency and improve agricultural sustainability, we developed an Internet of Things (IoT) approach for the real-time measurement of soil nitrate levels using ion-selective membrane sensors in combination with digital soil moisture probes. The node incorporates state-of-the-art IoT connectivity using a LoRaWAN transceiver. The sensing platform can transfer real-time data via a cloud-connected gateway for processing and storage. In summary, we present a validated soil sensor system for real-time monitoring of soil nitrate concentrations, which can support fertiliser management decisions, improve N use efficiency and reduce N losses to the environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2022
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