In today’s busy world, finding time for household tasks like gardening can be challenging.
Automation has provided solutions for many household activities, but what about your garden?
On a hot, sunny day when you’re away, who ensures your plants receive the right amount of water?
The solution is a smartphone-controlled irrigation system.
This post lists irrigation systems that you can control via your smartphone. But before diving into the list, let’s explore the key components of a smart irrigation system.
Key Components of Smart Irrigation Systems
WiFi Enabled Controller
It is the brain of the system, enabling remote access and app control.
It’s connected to home wifi for connectivity.
App
The controller is connected to the app. Providing user interface for scheduling, adjusting, and monitoring the irrigation.
Moisture Sensors
Moisture sensors detect moisture in the soil and relay it back to the controller to prevent overwatering.
Precision Valves
Precision valves are electronically activated valves to regulate water flow to different zones.
These valves are installed in the lines of the irrigation system to open or close to regulate the flow.
Temperature Sensor
Temperature sensors provide data to the controller about air temperature to regulate irrigation.
Temperature sensor prevents watering when it’s too cold for plant growth.
Rain Sensor
As a name, a rain sensor detects rain and tells the system to stop when it is raining. Prevent wasting water in the rain.
Flow Meters
Flow meters monitor water flow, stopping the system in case of abnormal flow rates.
Also, the flow meter is identified if leaks have sprung or lines are broken.
Shut-off Valves
Shut-off valves allow the system to shut off the water supply in emergencies like leaks or breaks. Prevents flooding.
List of Smartphone Enabled Irrigation Systems
Rachio
Rachio is a smartphone enabled sprinkler irrigation system controller.
The controller allows you to monitor and schedule the irrigation based on the weather and availability of water.
Rachio uses hydro intelligence to personalize watering the plant based on the watering need, soil type, and yard size.
Moreover, Rachio’s systems use weather intelligence to automatically adjust watering.
Orbit B-hyve
Orbit B-hyve is a sprinkler controller that can be controlled using a smartphone or manually.
B-hyve uses real-time weather data to schedule watering. You can either manually schedule it or use the app.
For each watering side, you have to set the soil type, plant type, sprinkler type, amount of sunlight, slope, and how many sprinklers are in the zone. You can also set up catch cups to determine exactly how much water hits your yard between rain and the sprinklers for a more exact estimate of soil moisture.
Apart from all these, B-hyve supports Amazon Alexa and Google assistant for control and psychology.
Vaikai Neer
Pepper Agro’s Vaikai Neer is a smart drip irrigation controller supporting both Android and iOS devices.
With Vaikai Neer, you can easily schedule irrigation using your mobile device. Install the controller where a strong WiFi signal is available.
You can set up the controller easily without any expertise. The system is modular and expandable, allowing you to add more drip lines, sensors, or zones.
Vaikai Neer provides real-time notifications and alerts about the watering status. You receive updates on irrigation schedules, system maintenance reminders, and even weather-based adjustments, ensuring your plants remain well-nourished and healthy.
Netro Spark
Netro Sprite is a smartphone based sprinkler irrigation controller.
You can monitor the controller using Android and iOS, and it works with Alexa and Google assistance.
The Sprite gathers local weather data from sources like Weather Underground, NOAA, and The Weather Channel and asks for information specific to your lawn (like soil type, plant type, and amount of sun and shade) as you go through the app setup.
Raspberry Pi
Raspberry Pi is a small computer the size of a credit card, capable of performing various computer functions.
To use Raspberry Pi for irrigation, you’ll need to install two sensors connected to the controller, and the values from these sensors are sent to the Android application.
Here is the Diagram for raspberry pi irrigation.
Soil Moisture Sensor
Soil Moisture Sensor measures the volumetric water content of the soil.
In layman’s terms, A moisture sensor is used to sense the level of moisture content present in an irrigation field.
Temperature Sensor
Temperature sensors measure the temperature of the soil, and some types of sensors measure the temperature of the air.
Relay
The relay module is an electrically operated switch that allows you to turn on or off a circuit using voltage and/or current much higher than a microcontroller could handle.
How Does the System work?
The whole system work is pretty simple and straightforward.
Firstly, Soil moisture sensor to measure water content of soil, and temperature sensor to detect the temperature.
The Android system uses a Raspberry Pi microcontroller which is programmed to receive the input signal of multiple sensors of the field. One Raspberry Pi microcontroller receives this signal; it generates an output that drives a relay for operating the water pump.
You can turn the motor on if the soil moisture is low and temperature is high, if both criteria meet both moisture and temperature are optimized and then turn off the motor.
Benefits of Smartphone Enabled Irrigation System
Convenience
You can control the irrigation cycle using an app from anywhere at any time, allowing for quick adjustments to watering schedules.
Weather Adoption
Smart controllers can pull the weather data and automatically adjust the irrigation schedule.
Precise Scheduling
Using smart controllers, irrigation schedules can be customized for different zones, allocating precise amounts of time on different days. The schedule can also be adjusted automatically based on weather conditions.
High Efficiency
Smart controllers monitor soil moisture and plant health to further refine watering amounts and increase efficiency.
Automatic Shut-Off Detection
If there is any leakage or break occurs, smart controllers automatically shut off the irrigation, saving water and money.
Remote Monitoring
You can monitor the irrigation cycle sensor data on an app from anywhere. Additionally, you can view the current status and receive alerts if any issues arise while away from the irrigation system.
Final Thoughts…
As climate change continues to impact weather patterns, adopting smart irrigation systems will become essential for both residential and agricultural applications.
These systems not only conserve water but also save time and effort by automating precise watering schedules. Investing in a smartphone-controlled irrigation system is a step toward sustainable and efficient gardening.
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