Background:
Due to increasing labour, transportation, and raw material costs, agricultural growers require efficient and economical fertilization and/or irrigation (e.g., “fertigation”) systems to continue providing abundant food to a growing population at a low cost. Fertigation is a modern agricultural practice that involves the application of fertilizers through irrigation systems. This innovative technique allows for the simultaneous delivery of water and nutrients directly to the root zone of crops, enhancing nutrient absorption and optimizing plant growth. Fertigation offers several advantages, including increased nutrient efficiency, reduced environmental impact, and improved crop yields. Farmers can tailor the nutrient composition and timing of application to meet specific crop requirements, promoting precision agriculture. Fertigation has gained popularity for its ability to enhance resource utilization, improve soil fertility, and ultimately contribute to more resilient and productive agricultural systems:
Although conventional fertilization and irrigation systems have improved significantly in the past few decades, recording and organizing information pertaining to the operation of agricultural sites (e.g., irrigation and fertilization schedules, targets for nutrient delivery, pH maintenance, equipment maintenance, etc.) is frequently performed manually by a technician (e.g., writing on sheets of paper). Manually recording information may lead to unforeseen inefficiencies and problems. For example, a technician may also overlook certain items of information or record information incorrectly. Therefore, there is a need to develop a system and method for automated fertigation of crops that can alleviate the drawbacks:
Technology Description:
The ASMAFC is a precision farming technology receives and processes the advisory on NPK and water from "e-Crop" — an lOT device designed for smart farming or these data inputs from other sources. The relay system inside the ASMAFC device has a series of motors, which are connected to nutrient (NPK) containers and the water source as well as to the irrigation system. As per the quantity mentioned in the SMS or data inputs from other sources, the nutrients and water are pumped out from the containers and water tank respectively and poured into the mixing tank. Water and nutrients are thoroughly mixed in the mixing tank and the mixture is applied to the field via suitable irrigation system like drip, sprinkler etc. The daily application of fertilizer and water based on the advisory can further improve crop yield and minimize the loss of resources. ASMAFC can be used with or without e-Crop, however the efficiency will be high with e-Crop.