India is a land of farming and the primary occupation of rural India is agriculture. While most farmers are shifting from traditional farming methods with adopting technology for irrigation, small scale farmers are still dependent on water from the borewells for agriculture. To help such small scale farmers, a team of engineering students from the Sona College of Technology, Salem, have invented an Internet of Things (IoT).
The system is a farm-friendly system with which water usage can be reduced and it minimizes dependency on fertilizers.
The system operates on a designated strong and lasting rare earth magnet. Water is passed through a magnetic space and undergoes the process of electrolysis and magnetisation. The water molecules are changed into hexagonal-shaped clusters improving the water quality. Saltwater is then converted into hard water, resulting in better and sufficient crop production.
The team comprises of six engineering students – Manimoliselvan C, Dinesh Kumar B, Manikandan S, Lokeshwar S, final-year Civil Engineering students, Kungumaswetha A, final-year Computer Science Engineering student and Suvetha S, final-year student (Electronics and Communications Engineering).
Manimoliselvan C said, “The magnetisation process works along with the IoT system and is connected to a mobile app. The system is fitted with sensors that can measure water levels, weather, and optical transducers to monitor nutrient absorption, which allows the farmers to know about the water requirement depending on the soil type and crop. The water quality is optimised by magnetisation and lesser water is required for agricultural activities.”
The project had also won the Smart India Hackathon 2020 in the hardware category. The team has already started their work on applying for a patent for the IoT-based solution.
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R Malathy, dean (R&D) and professor, department of Civil Engineering, who was also the project supervisor says the system will reduce water usage, along with low dependence on fertilisers and pesticides which can be a blessing for farmers.
He added, “The solution was developed in around six months, starting with the selection of the right magnet that can be used for borewell water at all places, visual observation on potted plants and then moving to a peanut field for research.”