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Implementation and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Measurement Platform over LoRa and Applicability for Soil Monitoring

Author

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  • Dimitrios Loukatos

    (Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece)

  • Athanasios Fragkos

    (Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece)

  • George Kargas

    (Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece)

  • Konstantinos G. Arvanitis

    (Department of Natural Resources Management and Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, 75 Iera Odos Str., 11855 Athens, Greece)

Abstract

Efficiently reporting soil-specific information is of key importance for plant growth but can be quite demanding as well. Indeed, it may require expensive digitizers, subscriptions to services for communication links between each sensor and the cloud, and the incorporation of power-hungry elements. Added to this, soil sensors may vary drastically, e.g., in terms of power characteristics, response times, or interfacing options. The need for improved energy autonomy increases reporting complexity, as it presupposes that the participating components will enter a low-power (sleep) state when not in action. Furthermore, the IoT nodes hosting the sensing instruments should be able to work unattended for long periods under varying environmental conditions. In response to the aforementioned physical and technical challenges, this work highlights the details behind the cooperation of a cost-effective microprocessor equipped with a radio transceiver and some simple and widely available electronic components to form nodes that can host a diverse set of soil sensors and deliver reliable data in satisfactory ranges. The sensitivity and power efficiency of the LoRa protocol make it ideal for rural agri-field use; in the meantime, optimized action/sleep management, along with tiny solar panels, guarantee sustainable operation. The proposed system was tested utilizing various typical soil instruments, and its range coverage, consumption, and measurement quality were thoroughly evaluated under different installation settings, thus providing guidance for similar implementations and indicating its suitability for a wide set of monitoring applications.

Suggested Citation

  • Dimitrios Loukatos & Athanasios Fragkos & George Kargas & Konstantinos G. Arvanitis, 2024. "Implementation and Evaluation of a Low-Cost Measurement Platform over LoRa and Applicability for Soil Monitoring," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 16(12), pages 1-30, November.
    • Handle: RePEc:gam:jftint:v:16:y:2024:i:12:p:443-:d:1531780
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Bwambale, Erion & Abagale, Felix K. & Anornu, Geophrey K., 2022. "Smart irrigation monitoring and control strategies for improving water use efficiency in precision agriculture: A review," Agricultural Water Management, Elsevier, vol. 260(C).
    2. Nikolaos Schizas & Aristeidis Karras & Christos Karras & Spyros Sioutas, 2022. "TinyML for Ultra-Low Power AI and Large Scale IoT Deployments: A Systematic Review," Future Internet, MDPI, vol. 14(12), pages 1-45, December.
    3. Volodymyr Bulgakov & Simone Pascuzzi & Valerii Adamchuk & Jaroslav Gadzalo & Volodymyr Nadykto & Jüri Olt & Janusz Nowak & Viktor Kaminskiy, 2022. "Dynamics of Temperature Variation in Soil under Fallow Tillage at Different Depths," Agriculture, MDPI, vol. 12(4), pages 1-12, March.
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    1. Athanasios Fragkos & Dimitrios Loukatos & Georgios Kargas & Konstantinos G. Arvanitis, 2025. "Performance Evaluation of TEROS 10 Sensor in Diverse Substrates and Soils of Different Electrical Conductivity Using Low-Cost Microcontroller Settings," Land, MDPI, vol. 14(2), pages 1-19, January.

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