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ARS Home » Plains Area » Sidney, Montana » Northern Plains Agricultural Research Laboratory » Agricultural Systems Research » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #196287
Title: SOFTWARE DESIGN FOR WIRELESS IN-FIELD SENSOR-BASED IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT

Author
item Kim, James
item Evans, Robert
item Iversen, William - Bill
item CHAVEZ, JOSE - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.
item PIERCE, FRANCIS - WASHINGTON STATE UNIV.

Submitted to: ASABE Annual International Meeting
Publication Type: Proceedings
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/1/2006
Publication Date: 7/9/2006
Citation: Kim, Y., Evans, R.G., Iversen, W.M., Chavez, J.L., Pierce, F.J. 2006. Software design for wireless in-field sensor-based irrigation management. ASABE Annual International Meeting. Paper 063074. CD-ROM.

Interpretive Summary: User-friendly software design for an automated irrigation system is of benefit to end-user in efficient water management. Software was developed for wireless in-field sensing and control system that allows real-time monitoring and control for a linear move irrigation system The irrigation control was based on combination of two different sprinkler systems and two crops (sugar beet and barely). Software displays the status of irrigation on plots via Bluetooth wireless radio communication. It enabled remote access to the field with irrigation decision support and automated variable rate irrigation based on in-field wireless sensor network distributed across the field.

Technical Abstract: A wireless in-field sensor-based irrigation management system is of benefit to producers in efficient water management, but implementing sensor-based irrigation control and monitoring is challenging in sensor fusion and data interface. Wireless in-field sensing and control software was developed for user-friendly interface of an integrated wireless in-field sensor network and automated variable rate irrigation. In-field sensory data was periodically sampled and remotely transmitted to a computer. Variable rate irrigation was controlled by the computer that reads information about field condition and GPS positions of sprinklers and transmits control signals to an irrigation controller via real-time wireless communication. This paper describes details of the software design using graphic user interface for wireless control and monitoring of a variable rate irrigation system.