Technical Background
The intelligent irrigation system was developed in response to the global water shortage and the waste of water resources caused by traditional irrigation methods. China is a large agricultural country, with agricultural water consumption accounting for a significant proportion of the total water consumption. Traditional irrigation methods have low irrigation efficiency and poor water resource utilization, resulting in severe water waste.
Intelligent irrigation, as the name implies, achieves precise control of farmland irrigation through intelligent means. It is not only an innovation in irrigation methods but also an important milestone in the development of modern agriculture towards intelligence and sustainability. The core of the intelligent irrigation system lies in using Internet of Things technology to collect farmland environmental data, including soil moisture, air temperature, humidity, and light intensity. Then, through big data analysis, it accurately determines the water requirements of crops, thus realizing water supply on demand and avoiding excessive consumption of water resources.
The technologies of intelligent irrigation mainly include the following aspects:
1、Sensor Technology：Soil moisture sensors, weather stations (temperature, humidity, wind speed, illumination), and crop growth monitoring sensors are used to collect environmental and crop status data in real-time.
2、Wireless Communication Technology： Through wireless network technologies such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, LoRa, and NB-IoT, the data collected by sensors is transmitted to the central control system or cloud servers.
3、Data Analysis and Artificial Intelligence： Big data analysis and machine learning algorithms are utilized to process the collected data, predict the water needs of crops, and formulate irrigation plans. AI can also learn from historical data to optimize irrigation strategies and improve irrigation efficiency.
4、Automation Contro： Relying on the outcomes of data analysis, the intelligent irrigation system is capable of automatically governing irrigation equipment, such as solenoid valves, sprinklers, and drip irrigation pipes. It enables irrigation to be carried out at precisely set times and with accurately measured amounts, ensuring highly regulated watering for the crops.
5、Cloud Platform and Mobile Applications：Data is stored through the cloud platform, allowing users to remotely monitor farmland conditions and manage the irrigation system via mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets.
6、Integrated Water and Fertilizer Technology: Combining the irrigation and fertilization processes, through precise control, water and fertilizers can be directly delivered to the roots of crops, improving fertilizer utilization.
The intelligent controller is the "brain" of the intelligent irrigation system, responsible for collecting information, analyzing data, and making irrigation decisions. The working principle of the intelligent control cabinet is quite ingenious. Firstly, it monitors the water content in the soil in real-time through the soil moisture sensor. Once it detects that the soil moisture is lower than the set threshold, the system will automatically start the irrigation program. More importantly, it can dynamically adjust the irrigation strategy according to different growth stages of crops and weather changes. For example, it reduces the irrigation frequency during the rainy season and increases the irrigation volume in the dry season, truly achieving "intelligent irrigation".
Intelligent irrigation not only solves the problem of efficient use of water resources but also promotes the development of green agriculture. By precisely controlling water consumption, the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides is reduced because excessive irrigation often causes these substances to flow into groundwater with the water flow, resulting in environmental pollution. The intelligent irrigation system can also increase crop yields and improve product quality, reduce production costs, and bring tangible economic benefits to farmers.
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