Automated Plant Growing Machine

PRESENTED BY-

SURBHI VERMA

2K11/EP/072

INTRODUCTION Devised a handy apparatus in the form of an automated plant growing machine.

It is capable of:

automatic irrigation (using moisture sensor and water pump)

detecting the nitrogen levels of the plant (using IR sensors and NDVI measurements)

switching the bulb as an artificial source of solar energy

THE THEORETICAL PHENOMENON

Plants depend upon radiant energy for the energy necessary to carry on photosynthesis and other physiological

processes.

Previous studies have revealed that nitrogen levels in crop plants could cause spectral reflectance changes on

leaves, and leaf chlorophyll content can be served as a measure of plant photosynthesis, nitrogen stress and

development stages. [1]

Plants absorb very efficiently throughout the ultraviolet and the visible regions of the spectrum where the energy

is required for photosynthesis.

However, immediately to the long wavelength side of the red chlorophyll absorption band the reflectance and

transmittance of plant leaves increases dramatically

Light Reflectivity in Plants [2]

Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI)

NDVI is a simple graphical indicator that can be used to analyze remote sensing measurements

Live green plants absorb solar radiation in the photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) spectral region, which they use as a source of energy in the process of photosynthesis.

Leaf cells have also evolved to scatter solar radiation in the near-infrared spectral region because the energy level per photon in that domain is not sufficient to be useful to synthesize organic molecules.

A strong absorption at these wavelengths would only result in overheating the plant and possibly damaging the tissues.

NDVI = [(NIRref/NIRinc)- Redref/Redinc)]/[(NIRref/NIRinc)+(Redref/Redinc)] [3]

ELECTRONIC CONTROL SYSTEM The following are the main components used in the circuit:

The Red Board Kit

Relay – 12V operating voltage

Soil Moisture Sensor

IR sensor

12V DC pump

Connecting wires

Red Board Kit – Dual Arduino processor

RELAY A relay is a simple electromechanical switch made up of an electromagnet and a set of contacts.

SOIL MOISTURE SENSOR Soil moisture sensors measure the water content in soil.

A soil moisture probe is made up of multiple soil moisture sensors.

Soil moisture sensors measure property, such as electrical resistance or dielectric constant, as a proxy for moisture content.

IR SENSOR An infrared sensor is an electronic device, that emits in order to sense some aspects of the surroundings.

The emitter is simply an IR LED (Light Emitting Diode) and the detector is simply an IR photodiode which is sensitive to IR light of the same wavelength as that emitted by the IR LED.

Time to see the working model!!!

FUTURE ASPECTS 1) A fertilizer spraying machine can be added to the actual implementation of the prototype so that the nitrogen deficiency/excess as detected by the IR sensor can be compensated.

2) A solar radiation detector can also be installed so as to detect the available solar energy and comparing it with plant’s need. Accordingly, a solar panel can be installed and solar intensity can be measured.

3) More precise NDVI values can be generated. A correcting algorithm can be made for different plant types to get more precise NDVI values.

4) Even before the seeds are sown, soil type, plant type and how much water with what pH required can be calculated. This can lead to germ free and high yield productions with less use of pesticides.

REFERENCES [1] Thomas, J.R., Oerther, G.F., 1972. Estimating nitrogen content of sweet pepper leaves by reflectance measurements. Agronomy Journal 64 (1), 11–13.

[2] http://physics.stackexchange.com

[3] William R. Raun, John B. Solie, Gordon V. Johnson, Marvin L. Stone, Erna V. Lukina, Wade E. Thomason, and James S. Schepers, “In-Season Prediction of Potential Grain Yield in Winter Wheat Using Canopy Reflectance”, Agron. J. 93:131-138 (2001).