Fully automatic water irrigation and drainage system for paddy rice cropping in Malaysia

This paper presents an automatic water irrigation and drainage system designed to increase the yield production of rice and improve water use efficiency. Water level sensors are placed in the rice field and continuously measure the water level. The system automatically irrigates water through the entrance gate when the water level is lower than the desired level. The entrance gate closes after the water level reaches the desired level. When the water level in the rice field is higher than the desired level, the system either opens the exit gate if the drain is empty, or switches on the pump if the drain is full of water.

I. Introduction

Rice is one of the most important agricultural products in the world. To ensure food security, Malaysia has emphasized the increase in rice production. A number of approaches, including breeding a new rice variety, improving the crop management system, and applying new technologies for land preparation, fertilizer, pest and disease control, have been implemented to increase the average rice yield [1].