Open-source Hardware Software for Irrigation

摘要

Information is needed in order to study, monitor, or understand a process or event. Data collection efforts often involve compromises related to frequency of measurements, labor requirements, costs, and data access. Advances in electronic technologies, software, and communications infrastructure have resulted in a variety of new and inexpensive monitoring capabilities for agricultural, irrigation, and water-management applications. Programmable microcontrollers and solid-state sensors enable rapid development of unique automated sensing, monitoring, and control systems. Wireless, cellular, and internet infrastructures allow rapid data transfer, and enable transfer of data from remote locations and real-time access to and sharing of data. These emerging technologies are enabled by application of open-source hardware and software, which offer advanced tools and capabilities and are freely available for anyone to use, develop, and modify. Open-source hardware and software resources are discussed, andwere used to develop sensing and monitoring systems. Examples of products that have been developed, including a soil-moisture monitor and a mobile plant-canopy monitoring system, are presented to demonstrate the accessibility and usefulness of these development tools.