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Driving Question
How do we create a solution to help the farmers increase crop productivity/yield while reducing the amount of manual labour?
Project Outline
The effects of climate change affect farmers’ ability to grow the food we all need. Increasingly volatile weather and more extreme events - like floods and droughts - change growing seasons, limit the availability of water, allow weeds, pests and fungi to thrive, and can reduce crop productivity.
Our project is to create solutions for these three main problems while reducing manual labour.
Background info
Farmers tend to work under hot and humid conditions to care for the plants. However, such work under harsh conditions can lead to heat exhaustion and other illnesses.
This project’s motivation comes from making it more convenient and less draining for the farmers to care for the plants. Moreover, the system would be more efficient as it can take precise measurements and will water the plant when needed. This will also deny any chance of human error while also being easy to maintain.
Research on Problems
Another problem is controlling the right amount of sunlight for the crops
Excessive light exposure:
- When a plant gets too much direct sunlight, the leaves become pale, sometimes burn and die
- Strong sun and heat also causes the breakdown of chlorophyll in the leaves
Lack of light exposure:
- Plants can turn pale green to yellow to white. Stems will become long and thin and appear to be reaching toward the source of light
- Plant will grow long spaces on stems between the leaf nodes
Why is Excessive/Lack of Light exposure a problem
- Most Vegetables require 12-14 hours of light exposure for growth
- If the plant is exposed to too much sunlight, the molecules absorb more energy than they can handle and generate reactive species of oxygen that destroys the plant
- Lack of light exposure causes the plants to drop their leaves and they will also fail to produce flowering buds
Reference:
https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/lighting-indoor-plants#:~:text=When%20plants%20lack%20light%2C%20they, toward%20the%20source%20of%20light. https://www.science.org/content/article/too-much-good-thing#:~:text=Plants%20harvest%20energy%20from%20the, that%20can%20destroy%20the%20plant.
Research on Problems
Another problem in the agricultural sector is pest:
- Agricultural Pests are estimated to destroy as much as one third of all agricultural fields
- Pests interfere with the utilization and production of crops and livestock
- Pests can also carry diseases that will infect the plants which can eventually be spread to humans as well
Reference:
- Food shortage as 40% of food crops fall to pests every year
- Contaminated plants can be consumed by humans which can cause health risks
- Due to Food shortages, millions of people worldwide suffer from malnutrition and starvation
Reference:
Research on Problems
Another Problem In the agriculture sector is flooded crops:
- Main reasons that cause flooding to crops:
- Climate Change
- Consistent and heavy rainfall
What does it cause?
- Flooded fields can cause the soil health to deteriorate and cause the crops to have diseases and pests can increase under these conditions resulting in reduced yields and poor crops health.
- Flooded fields also can reduce the soil quality due to lack of oxygen which can damage the crop roots.
Reference Source:
https://www.fao.org/resources/digital-reports/disasters-in-agriculture/en/
Research on Problems
Another problem in the agriculture sector is drought
Main reasons that droughts occur:
- Lack of precipitation(Moisture)
- Climate Change
What does it cause?
- As soil moisture decreases, crops will dry up and become vulnerable to pests
- Lack of soil moisture also decreases the plants rate of photosynthesising and slowing down the process of crop yield
Reference Source:
Why is a drought or flood a problem?
- Most vegetable require 41%-80% of soil moisture.
- Excess moisture cause the lack of oxygen and plant growth is aggravated as the roots is unable to absorb nutrients and moisture.
- Lack of moisture causes water stress
- abscission of leaves and reduction in leaf area and seed production
Reference Source:
Product Solution
Our product will include a total of 3 different segments:
- Moisture Level
(Measure and control the moisture level in the soil)
- Harsh Weather Conditions and Pests Control
(Help farmers better predict and prepare against harsh weather conditions that could damage crop )
(Check Temperature which is a factor contributing to the growth of pest and the usage of pesticide)
- Light Intensity
(Measure the light intensity and usage of translucent shelter to prevent crops being damaged by intense light)
Solution For High Moisture
- Hydrated lime, also known as calcium hydroxide, quickly raises the pH level of the soil. Adjusting the soil to the proper pH helps plant to grow and strengthen by making it easier for plant roots to take up nutrients in the soil.
- The lime will chemically react in the soil to help dry out overly wet soil. This chemical reaction is completely safe as it is created with natural lime products.
- Adding hydrated lime will help absorb the water in the soil and turning it all will help distribute the water in the waterlogged soil throughout the farm/garden.
Reference Source:
Solution For Moisture level
- Use of an M5f stack, earth sensor to help farmers check the moisture level in the soil of the crops.
- An automated sprinkler is used to water the plants when the moisture level is too low. For this solution, the servo motor acts as the water sprinkler.
- When moisture level is too high, the same automated sprinkler is used to water the plants and hydrated lime is added into the water supply by the farmer.
- The farmer also has the option to toggle the exact level of moisture using the buttons in the m5f stack.
Solution for Light Intensity
- M5f stack, light sensor to help farmers gauge the light intensity.
- Servo motor, which acts as a translucent shelter, will cover the crops when light intensity is too high, this is to minimise the light intensity
- When the light intensity is too low or back at healthy level, the shelter will open to provide more light for the plants.
Solution for Harsh Weather Conditions
- Use of an M5f stack, ENVII to help farmers track and predict the weather.
- An automated shelter is used as the servo motor when humidity level reaches a certain level to prevent rain affecting the precise level of moisture in the soil for efficient growth of plants. The automated shelter will be a transparent shelter so that light intensity is not affected by it.
- When the humidity level is too high, it is an indication that there is a high chance of rain occurrence soon. The user will then have a choice if they wants to use the servo motor which acts as a shelter will close so that when there is rain, the moisture level of the plants is not affected and damaged.
- When temperature is too high the M5f stack will alarm the farmer and the farmer will have an option to press a button in the M5f Stack to activate the sprinkler to spray pesticide
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