High-density wi-fi based sensor network for efficient irrigation management in precision agriculture

© 2021 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland.The application of deficit irrigation techniques is essential in arid or semi-arid areas of the southeast of Spain, where water is a scarce and very costly resource. However, to apply these techniques, it is necessary to carry out preliminary tests on the specific crop in order to develop the models that allow the optimization of water use while achieving acceptable yields. The system proposed in this article demonstrates the feasibility of using wireless technologies available in most facilities (Wireless Fidelity) to deploy a high-density network of nodes with a variety of heterogeneous sensors to collect data from the soil, plant, and atmosphere. The data are sent and stored in a cloud server for real-time visualization from any mobile device and further analysis. The nodes have been developed using low-cost processors and are equipped with batteries and solar panels, allowing their autonomy to be virtually unlimited, as shown by the consumption studies and tests carried out.