Development of Open Hardware for Solar-Powered Soil Sensor Nodes in Indian Orchards
A solar-powered RS-485 soil sensor node has been developed for precision agriculture in a 2,100-tree mango orchard in India. This open hardware platform collects soil data to optimize irrigation and nutrient management, enhancing agricultural productivity.
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The solar-powered RS-485 soil sensor node operates using a 20W solar panel and a 12.8V LiFePO4 battery, providing a 15-20 day operational reserve during monsoon. Each sensor node reads multiple soil metrics and transmits data via a Cloudflare Workers API.
The system relies on a reliable RS-485 connection, capable of running up to 100 meters, beneficial for the orchard's structure. A 300-day dataset informed recovery protocols for a struggling tree, illustrating the system's capability in precision agriculture.
Future deployments will incorporate solenoid valve control and expand to vineyards. The open-source hardware can be produced for under $10 for five units from JLCPCB.
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