A Smart Plant Monitoring System Using Arduino

Abstract

In recent years, the integration of automation and IoT technologies in agriculture has gained significant attention for improving resource efficiency, sustainability, and productivity. This paper presents a Smart Plant Monitoring System using Arduino, designed to automate irrigation and enhance plant care by continuously monitoring soil moisture, temperature, and humidity levels. The system employs an Arduino Uno microcontroller, soil moisture sensor, DHT11 temperature & humidity sensor, relay module, LCD display, and water pump to develop an intelligent irrigation system. Experimental results demonstrate a 30-40% reduction in water consumption and improved irrigation efficiency. The study highlights future improvements, including AI-based predictive analytics, IoT-enabled remote monitoring, and solar power integration. The proposed system is aimed at both small-scale urban gardening and large-scale agricultural applications, offering a cost-effective and scalable solution..

Introduction

With increasing global water scarcity, smart irrigation systems are essential for efficient agriculture. Traditional methods waste water and require constant manual intervention. The proposed Smart Plant Monitoring System leverages IoT and Arduino-based automation to optimize water usage and improve plant health, making it ideal for home gardens, greenhouses, and small farms.

Key Features of the System:

• Arduino Uno serves as the central controller.

• Sensors:

  • Soil Moisture Sensor: Detects soil hydration.

  • DHT11 Sensor: Monitors temperature and humidity.

• Actuators:

  • Water Pump (5V) controlled via a Relay Module (5V).

• LCD Display: Shows real-time sensor data.

• Power Supply: 9V battery or adapter powers the system.

• Jumper Wires: Connect all components.

Working Mechanism:

1. Sensors collect real-time environmental data.

2. Arduino compares sensor data to preset thresholds.

3. If soil moisture < 30%:

   • Relay is activated → Water pump turns ON.

4. If soil moisture > 50%:

   • Relay is deactivated → Pump turns OFF.

5. LCD updates show temperature, humidity, moisture, and pump status.

6. System repeats this process at intervals for continuous monitoring.

Software and Future Enhancements:

• Programming Language: Embedded C, using Arduino IDE.

• Future Scope:

  • IoT integration with cloud platforms like ThingSpeak/Firebase.

  • Machine Learning models for predictive irrigation based on weather and soil trends.

Literature Review Insights:

• Multiple studies explored Arduino-based and energy-efficient sensor networks (e.g., using wind energy and hierarchical routing like APTEEN).

• Sensor-based irrigation systems reduce power usage and improve plant care.

• Real-time monitoring systems with decision-making algorithms and GPS enhance irrigation precision.

Results and Impact:

• System reliably monitors soil moisture, temperature, and humidity.

• Automates watering with quick response time and minimal human input.

• Reduces water waste and supports sustainable agriculture through smart resource management.

• Effective and cost-efficient for real-world applications in precision farming.

Conclusion

The Smart Plant Monitoring System has successfully demonstrated an efficient, cost-effective, and automated approach to plant irrigation. It improves water efficiency, reduces manual labor, and enhances plant health through data-driven decision-making. The system addresses key agricultural challenges by using sensor-based automation, making it a viable solution for smart farming and home gardening. While the project has achieved its core objectives, power supply dependency and internet connectivity limitations present areas for future improvement. Integrating renewable energy sources and IoT-based remote monitoring could further enhance the system’s reliability and usability. Overall, this project showcases the potential of smart agricultural solutions and lays the foundation for future advancements in automated irrigation and precision farming technologies

References

[1] Satra, Shruti and Agrawal, Avinash and Gogate, Sanyukta and Daryapurkar, Rajashree and Mehendale, Ninad, Design and Implementation of Arduino-based Automatic Irrigation with Moisture Sensor (July 18, 2023). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4513859 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4513859 [2] Sundaresan, Mahalakshmi & Priyadharshini, R. (2017). A Low-Cost Method for Precision Agriculture Using Arduino. International Journal of Scientific Engineering and Research. 5. 70-72. 10.70729/IJSER171816. [3] Bhowmik, Subhajyoti. (2023). Smart plant monitoring system using IOT. [4] Tilekar, Tejas &Tighare, Roshani &Tidake, Mayur &Tidke, Rushang &Tiwadi, Shivam & (Cholke), Puja. (2022). Smart Plant Monitoring System using IoT. 10.14704/nq.2022.20.7.NQ33250. [5] S. Drakshayani, Y. LaksmiManjusha, P. Ramadevi, V. Madhuravani and K. R. Suguna, \"Smart Plant Monitoring System using NodeMCU,\" 2022 International Conference on Electronics and Renewable Systems (ICEARS), Tuticorin, India, 2022, pp. 525-530, doi: 10.1109/ICEARS53579.2022.9752381 [6] Van, Parth, Plant Monitoring System (December 17, 2020). Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=3750834 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3750834 [7] Joshi, A., Sonika, T., Tharani, M., Singh, J., & Deepa, P. (2024). IoT-based smart plant monitoring system. International Journal for Research in Applied Science & Engineering Technology (IJRASET). https://doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2024.58953 [8] Chavan, P., Gaikwad, S., &Manwar, S. (2023). Smart plant monitoring system. International Research Journal of Modernization in Engineering, Technology, and Science (IRJMETS), 5(5). https://doi.org/10.56726/IRJMETS38080

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Arin Shaikh, Yogesh Bhagili , Monika Dhaware, Kawaljeet Singh , Anmol More, Mahadeo Narlawar. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.