Software design for wireless sensor-based site-specific irrigation

In-field sensor-based site-specific irrigation management is of benefit to producers for efficient water management. Integration of the decision making process with the controls is a viable option for determining when and where to irrigate, and how much water to apply. This research presents the design of decision support software and its integration with an in-field wireless sensor network (WSN) to implement site-specific sprinkler irrigation control via Bluetooth wireless communication. Wireless in-field sensing and control (WISC) software was designed by four major design factors that provide real-time monitoring and control of both inputs (field data) and outputs (sprinkler controls) by simple click-and-play menu using graphical user interface (GUI), and optimized to adapt changes of crop design, irrigation pattern, and field location. The WISC software provides remote access to in-field micrometeorological information from the distributed WSN and variable-rate irrigation control. An algorithm for nozzle sequencing was developed to stagger nozzle-on operations so as evenly distributed over the 60-s cycle. Sensor-based closed-loop irrigation was highly correlated to catch can water with r2 = 0.98.