Plant growth monitoring system, with dynamic user-interface

Agriculture has nurtured the development of human civilizations through the ages. Yet it is one of the many fields which is in dire need of technological intervention. Latest technologies like the “infrastructure of information society” Internet of Things are yet to reach the Agriculture market. This is especially so in the case of less affluent countries like India where agriculture is still a gamble for the farmer. By implementing intelligent monitoring techniques and enabling automatic sensing of the conditions on a farm, the farmer can ensure that the best possible practices are used in her/his farm and thus ensure maximum productivity and yield. The paper discusses a cost effective system that receives data about the conditions surrounding the plants from various sensors in the system. The sensors used are DHT-11, SHT-11 and a `Height Measuring Apparatus' consisting of magnetic switches on a vertical pipe and a Neodymium magnet piece. The data “compiled” are the current height of the plant, the moisture content in the soil, the temperature of the soil, the atmospheric temperature and relative humidity. The system sends notifications to the farmer at regular intervals. The actions taken by the farmer upon receiving the processed data is also recorded. The corresponding effects on the plant growth are then “detected”. This process can make the farmers aware of the impact their actions have on the plants, giving them an analysis about both the needs of the plant as well as the “fruit” of their actions.