Development of a LoRaWAN IoT node with ion-selective electrode soil nitrate sensors for precision agriculture

Bristow, N., Rengaraj, S., Chadwick, D. R., Kettle, J. and Jones, D. L. (2022) Development of a LoRaWAN IoT node with ion-selective electrode soil nitrate sensors for precision agriculture. Sensors, 22(23), 9100. (doi: 10.3390/s22239100) (PMID:36501798) (PMCID:PMC9739143)

Abstract

Crop productivity is highly dependent on the availability of soluble nitrogen (N), e.g. nitrate, in soil. When N levels are low, fertilisers are applied to replenish the soil’s reserves. Typically the timing of these applications is based on paper-based guidance and sensor-based measurements of canopy greenness, which provides an indirect measure of soil N status. However this approach often means that N fertiliser is applied inappropriately or too late, resulting in excess N being lost to the environment, or too little N to meet crop demand. To promote greater N use efficiency and improve agricultural sustainability, we developed an Internet of Things (IoT) approach for the real-time measurement of soil nitrate levels using ion-selective membrane sensors in combination with digital soil moisture probes. The node incorporates state-of-the-art IoT connectivity using a LoRaWAN transceiver. The sensing platform can transfer real-time data via a cloud-connected gateway for processing and storage. In summary, we present a validated soil sensor system for real-time monitoring of soil nitrate concentrations, which can support fertiliser management decisions, improve N use efficiency and reduce N losses to the environment.

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: Funding: This research was funded by the UK Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council under the SARIC program (BB/P004539/1). The research was also supported by the Solar Photovoltaic Academic Research Consortium II (SPARC II) project (case number 81133), gratefully funded by WEFO.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Kettle, Professor Jeff
• Authors: Bristow, N., Rengaraj, S., Chadwick, D. R., Kettle, J., and Jones, D. L.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Sensors
• Publisher: MDPI
• ISSN: 1424-8220
• ISSN (Online): 1424-8220
• Published Online: 23 November 2022
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2022 by the authors
• First Published: First published in Sensors 22(23): 9100
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License