Lab Prototype of Wireless Monitoring and Control for Seed Potatoes Growing Chamber

Abstract

One of the foremost problems in Indonesia’s agricultural sector is related to the high production costs. As the highest cost driver in a cultivation season is related to seeds availability, quality, and procurement, therefore a research in collaboration with Vegetable R&D Facility (Balitsa) under Indonesian Ministry of Agriculture was performed. This research effort focused on designing and implementing wireless sensor and actuator network (WSAN) for the control, monitoring, and conditioning of growing chambers inside of a greenhouse. Aeroponic growing chambers which are essential in cultivating disease-free G0 potato seeds require strict treatment of water, nutrients, and also conditioned temperature and humidity. With the implementation of WSAN, a flexibility in sensor nodes management was introduced, where the number of active growing chambers might vary depending user’s preferences. Main improvements after implementation gained in forms of a monitored system and user-adjustable settings, which are essential for the Balitsa researchers. Other improvements include power and nutrients efficiency in performing the G0 cultivation. This research was done as one of the Indonesian Smart Farming efforts, a roadmap designed to empower and integrate nationwide agricultural activities through information and communication technology. Keywords: WSAN, WSN, aeroponics, sensor network, agriculture sensor