Published in Scientific Papers. Series B, Horticulture, Vol. LXVIV, Issue 1
Written by Dragoș-Ioan SĂCĂLEANU, Adrian ASĂNICĂ, Abigail BORRON, Daniela FAUR, Horia-Nicolae CIOCAN, Gary L. HAWKINS, Ioan-Ștefan SACALĂ, Dan POPESCU, Mihai-Gabriel MATACHE
This article presents the technical development of an autonomous irrigation system designed to optimize water delivery and support precision agriculture. Developed through a collaboration between the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest and the National Institute of Research–Development for Machines and Installations Designed for Agriculture and Food Industry Bucharest and tested by the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest, the system integrates advanced engineering principles and agronomic expertise to address challenges in modern agriculture. The system architecture includes an embedded control unit and wireless sensor nodes with microcontrollers, wireless communication transceivers, and soil-crop interaction sensors such as capacitive moisture probes. Real-time data acquisition enables adaptive irrigation management using predictive algorithms, ensuring precise water application aligned with crop phenological stages and environmental variability. The system’s modularity ensures scalability across various farm sizes, from smallholders to large-scale operations. This initiative strengthens a cooperative agricultural extension framework, facilitating knowledge transfer between students and faculty from the involved universities. By bridging technical and agronomic expertise, the system represents a leap forward in integrating precision agriculture into sustainable farming practices.
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