Development of a wireless sensor network for tracking flood irrigation management in production-sized rice fields in the Mid-South

Authors: Chiu, Yin-Lin - Jack; Reba, Michele

Submitted to: Applied Engineering in Agriculture
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 6/7/2020
Publication Date: 6/30/2020
Citation: Chiu, Y., Reba, M.L. 2020. Development of a wireless sensor network for tracking flood irrigation management in production-sized rice fields in the Mid-South. Applied Engineering in Agriculture. 36(5). https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.13962.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.13031/aea.13962

Interpretive Summary: Conserving water resources for maintaining water levels in production rice fields is difficult and slow, and can be costly. This research study designed and deployed a wireless sensor network to automate water level measurements in multiple rice fields, simultaneously. The study also integrated soil moisture sensors to work in conjunction with the water level measurements and recorded the response to different irrigation treatments. The results were a combination of quantitative data that compared automated measurements with daily manual measurements, and qualitative findings regarding the wireless sensor network operation (and future improvements) throughout the production season. The data comparison showed a positive moderate correlation (r(478) = 0.6281, p < 0.0001) between the automated and manual water level measurements for all irrigation treatment rice fields. However, at a few select locations, lower correlations were measured and attributed to poor physical installation. Programs that require management practice documentation, producers, and agencies or companies interested in irrigation management practices would benefit from the findings associated with the wireless sensor network system deployed in this research study.

Technical Abstract: The inclusion of automation in agricultural irrigation may improve crop management by providing organized, site-specific, and real-time information to producers. The objective of this study was to develop a rugged, wireless sensor network (WSN) and infrastructure to retrieve, process, and disseminate sensor data installed in remote rice fields. The study took place during the 2018 rice production season in eastern Arkansas. A working prototype WSN (consisting of 24 units) was assembled and field-tested in sixteen production-sized (approximately 16 ha each) irrigated rice fields. Data were collected during the growing season and included water depth and soil moisture. The WSN retrieved, processed, and disseminated in-situ data from the production fields to a remote database. Data were made viewable via a web browser on internet-connected computers and mobile devices. The analysis quantified the benefits, costs, and practical usability of the system to assist with field condition monitoring and irrigation management in production-sized rice farming operations. Water level measurements using the WSN unit were significantly related to the actual measurements in MIRI, ROW and AWD irrigation treatments (r = 0.453 to 0.946, P = <0.0001). However, the reliability of this equipment is challenged by field installation and maintenance. Several in-house troubleshooting methods have been discussed to ensure accurate usage of this automated system. The results of the study supported the method used for the ultrasonic sensor for estimating water level agreed with manual measurement. The functional WSN supported sensors for automated water level and soil moisture measurements. Implementing WSN systems to provide real-time knowledge of the field condition, tracking, and documenting flood irrigation management offers potential economic and agronomical benefits to producers.