Internet of Things (IoT) Based Automated Water Gate System in Paddy Field for Water Resource Management

Paddy cultivation needs a substantial water supply to ensure optimal plant growth. However, manual monitoring and control of water levels in paddy fields are laborious and time-consuming tasks. Therefore, regular monitoring is essential to keep proper crop growth. This study aimed to develop, install, and evaluate an IoT-based automated water gate system for rice cultivation research and development at MARDI Parit, Perak, Malaysia. The system used an ESP32 microcontroller, three HC-SR04 ultrasonic sensors, a 5V relay, a 12V linear actuator, a solar system and 12 V battery. Calibration of the ultrasonic sensors resulted in 100% accuracy in water level readings. The experiment showed stable water level measurements with 100% accuracy at distances of up to 10 m from the microcontroller. The ESP32 microcontroller autonomously controlled the opening and closing of the water gate based on the water level requirements. Data transmission to the Blynk IoT platform for monitoring and analysis was successful. This study highlights the performance of the IoT-based automated water gate system and its potential application to investigate the effects of paddy growth and yield before and after system implementation in MARDI Parit, Perak, Malaysia. This knowledge enables efficient irrigation management, helping effective water usage and promoting optimal crop growth.