IAES International Journal of Robotics and Automation (IJRA)

Vol. 13, No. 3, September 2024, pp. 307~313

ISSN: 2722-2586, DOI: 10.11591/ijra.v13i3.pp307-313  307

An approach for modern gardening through monitoring and

maintenance of plant health

Siddharth Swami1, Rajesh Singh2, Anita Gehlot2, Sameer Dev Sharma3, Dharmendra Kumar3
1
School of Environment and Natural Resources, Doon University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
2
Division of Research and Innovation, Uttaranchal Institute of Technology, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
3
Uttaranchal School of Computing Science, Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India

Article Info ABSTRACT

Article history: The study explores the use of internet of things (IoT) devices in agriculture
to improve sustainable practices and environmental concerns. It uses the
Received Mar 18, 2024 ESP8266 microcontroller and the Blynk platform to create a revolutionary
Revised Jun 27, 2024 plant health monitoring and automated care system. The system is designed
Accepted Jul 7, 2024 to handle continuous monitoring and plant maintenance in various
environmental conditions. Sensors measuring light, temperature, humidity,
and soil moisture are strategically placed to receive real-time data. The
Keywords: ESP8266 microcontroller analyzes this information and links it to the Blynk
cloud for accessibility via mobile or web applications. The system is
Blynk effective in monitoring ideal growing conditions, such as soil moisture and
ESP8266 weather conditions. Automated care elements like irrigation and
Internet of things supplemental lighting have been shown to improve plant growth and health.
Monitoring system The study contributes to smart farming by offering an affordable and easy
Plant health way to automate and monitor plant health, demonstrating how IoT
technologies can enhance agricultural practices, conserve resources, and
enable remote management of plant ecosystems.
This is an open access article under the CC BY-SA license.

Corresponding Author:
Siddharth Swami
School of Environment and Natural Resources, Doon University
Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
Email: [email protected]

1. INTRODUCTION
Various important parameters like temperature, humidity, and light intensity affect plant growth [1].
The research is aimed at coming up with a way of assessing plant health and underlines the importance of
technological advancements such as the development of smart modules that can be used by farmers to
increase crop yields throughout the year [2]. It has been observed that using silicon technology could replace
expensive lab-based plant health monitoring systems in favor of many inexpensive ones without losing their
accuracy [3].
Moreover, it is emphasized that achieving net-zero carbon emissions from agriculture by 2050 will
require developing technologies that increase productivity but still reduce resource use and energy
consumption [4]. The scientific framework for managing and controlling pest infestations and pathogen
interventions is related to plant health. It can considerably help in the efficient management of farms and
forests when used on a wider scale, directly affecting the caliber of the food we consume and the cattle we
rear [5].
An efficient and reasonably priced wireless security system that uses Global System for Mobile
Communication (GSM) and ZigBee modems to track and control unwelcome events such as burglary and the
emergence of hazardous circumstances in residences, neighborhoods, or cities is proposed. The particle

Journal homepage: http://ijra.iaescore.com

308  ISSN: 2722-2586

swarm optimization (PSO) technique is used to improve the network by utilizing cluster nodes that include
ZigBee modems and switching customized to each user's requirements [6]. Dealing with large changes in the
geographical and climatic conditions that can cause disasters is a difficult task. It is crucial to keep an eye on
these changes and take quick action to protect lives. Sensor nodes, regional control centers, and a central
control room make up the system's three main parts [7].
Discharge sensors are used to control gate openings up to predetermined limits while data from the
sensor nodes is gathered for monitoring [8]. According to the conditions that are being observed, all decisions
are taken through the central control room, which also issues orders to various local control rooms. A hooter
is accessible at the local control room for issuing notifications in the event of criticality or discrepancies that
reach danger limits [9].
This research serves as an illustration of internet of things (IoT) applications in the creation of
monitoring devices with real-time tracking of the population and the sending of alarm messages to users'
mobile phones when the population exceeds specified criteria. Rural residents can monitor their numbers
when they approach critical levels by putting in place intelligent IoT-based monitoring devices [8], [10].

2. LITERATURE REVIEW
The suggested approach provides the potential to detect plant diseases in their early stages,
minimizing losses and, to some extent, reducing reliance on experts [11]. Growing environmental pollution is
a significant problem for our generation, with diminishing oxygen levels caused by deteriorating plant health
being a major worry. To solve this problem, sustainable development must be achieved [12]. The life-course
approach has the potential to increase crop yield by better recognizing how interactions between plants and
their environment affect plant and crop health. This includes a thorough analysis of analytical tools and how
they can be used to monitor plant growth [13].
Green plants are essential to the health of our environment and the foundation of ecosystems' long-
term viability. As a result, encouraging the growth of healthy plants is crucial, and early identification of
plant illnesses can help with their treatment [14]. A nation's economy has historically been heavily reliant on
agriculture, but as urbanization and population growth accelerate, arable land is becoming less and less
available [15]. Methods of vertical farming are becoming more popular in the current urbanization and
Industry 5.0 era. By using less space and lowering carbon and greenhouse gas emissions, these strategies
encourage sustainability. When not in use, the green internet of things (G-IoT) switches to a dormant mode to
save energy, which helps to improve environmental sustainability [16].
To improve IoT for urban terrace gardening in the authors' community, a unique smart IoT-based
system is being launched that uses microcontrollers, sensors such as soil moisture and light detectors, and the
Bolt-IoT cloud [17]. The production of high-quality crops to meet the rising demand for food presents a twin
challenge for modern farmers. Application of fertilizers and nutritional improvements are necessary to
increase crop yields [18]. The block diagram of plant health monitoring system in Figure 1 is described as
follows for this study: The user interface for monitoring and managing the plant care system is a smartphone
or laptop. We can access real-time sensor data using the Blynk app that has been downloaded to our device
and give instructions to the system [19].
Our laptop or smartphone and the plant care system are connected by the Blynk app. To visualize
sensor data (such as soil moisture, temperature, and light levels) and manage the system's actuators, we can
build a graphical user interface (GUI) with widgets [20]. The brain of our plant care system is the ESP8266
microcontroller. It is in charge of gathering information from the sensors, processing that information, and
managing the actuators. The microcontroller can communicate with the Blynk app because it is linked to our
Wi-Fi network [21]. To collect important environmental data, this project employs a variety of sensors. It
determines when the plant needs watering by keeping an eye on the soil's moisture level, enables us to
guarantee ideal growing circumstances by measuring the temperature in the area around the plant, and finds
out if the plant is getting enough light by detecting the light levels. According to the microcontroller's
instructions, the actuators are machines that perform actions. When the soil moisture drops below a certain
level, automatic watering of the plant is provided [22].
To maintain an ideal microclimate for the plant, control the airflow and humidity. When the plant
does not receive enough light from the sun to grow, provide additional lighting [23]. All system parts,
including the microprocessor, sensors, actuators, and any additional peripherals, are powered by a dedicated
power supply. The ESP8266 microcontroller continuously gathers data from the sensors while it is in use.
Our Wi-Fi network is used to transmit this data to the Blynk app. Through the Blynk app on our smartphone
or laptop, we can monitor the sensor data and remotely operate the actuators. For instance, we can use the
app to activate the water pump to irrigate the plant if the soil moisture sensor detects that the soil is dry.
Similar to that, we can change the fan speed or turn on LED lights as necessary to produce the ideal

IAES Int J Rob & Autom, Vol. 13, No. 3, September 2024: 307-313
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conditions for plant growth. This networked system makes it possible to monitor the circumstances of the
plant in real-time and respond appropriately, encouraging healthy growth and effective resource use in our
automated plant care project [24].

Figure 1. Block diagram of intruder detection node

3. HARDWARE DEVELOPMENT
The hardware interfacing for plant health monitoring is represented in Figure 2. Three pins are
normally present on the soil moisture sensor VCC for power, GND for ground, and SIG for signal. Connect
the 3.3 V output on the ESP8266 board to the VCC (power) pin of the soil moisture sensor. The sensor
receives power from this. A ground (GND) pin on the ESP8266 board should be connected to the GND
(ground) pin of the soil moisture sensor. A common ground connection is made as a result.

Figure 2. Connection diagram of plant health monitoring

An approach for modern gardening through monitoring and maintenance of plant health (Siddharth Swami)
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− The ESP8266, such as A2, should be connected to the SIG (signal) pin of the soil moisture sensor. The
soil moisture sensor reads soil moisture and displays it on the Blank app via ESP8266.
− The DHT11 sensor has three pins which power pin is connected to voltage and ground is connected to the
ground and the data pin of the DHT11 sensor is connected to D5.
− The LDR sensor has three pins, which power pin is connected to the voltage, and ground is connected to
ground and the data pin of the LDR sensor is connected to D6.
− The signal pins of the fan and motor pump are connected to esp8266 with the help of a relay. The motor
pump is attached to D0 and fan is attached to D2 pin of ESP8266 with the help of the relay and lead data
pin attached to pin no D7 of ESP8266. The hardware component that has been proposed in the present
study is represented in Figure 3.

Figure 3. Hardware of plant health monitoring

4. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SYSTEM

The system starts with an initialization stage where all hardware parts are powered on and
initialized, including the ESP8266 microcontroller, sensors, actuators, and the Blynk app. The connected
sensors, which comprise the temperature sensor, light sensor, and soil moisture sensor, continuously feed
data to the microcontroller.
The soil moisture sensor gauges the soil's moisture content, the temperature sensor keeps track of the
surrounding temperature, and the light sensor measures the brightness of the light. The sensor data is
processed by the microcontroller to ensure precision and dependability [25]. To remove noise or incorrect
readings, it could undertake calibration and filtering. The processed data is momentarily stored for analysis
before being sent to the Blynk app for remote access. The ESP8266 microcontroller maintains a Wi-Fi
connection with the Blynk cloud platform. To connect to the microcontroller, an encryption token is
employed by Blynk application installed in the laptop or Smartphone. Soil moisture sensors, temperature
sensors, light levels are often sent to Blynk app. Designed for both PC and Smartphone use, Blynk App
allows users to monitor plant care systems and view real-time sensor data. This software has a user-friendly
interface with visual representations of the sensors through widgets such as gauges and graphs. Users can set
thresholds and if the values exceed this range, they will receive alerts or warnings.
The system on its own uses sensor data to control care activities within it. For instance, when soil
moisture is below a threshold value set by a user, the microcontroller can turn on the pump to start the
watering process. There are also situations where there is not enough light for plant development, so the
microcontroller makes LED turn on lights. Temperature and humidity readings can be used by the
microcontroller to modify fans or ventilation systems. Information concerning the working of the system is
immediate on Blynk app as shown in Figure 4. In case a critical threshold is reached, an alert is created
calling for user intervention. The system loops to Blynk app while collecting and processing data. It ensures
that surrounding environmental conditions are held in place for optimal plant health. To ensure safe operating
of a system shutdown protocols are applied. Regular maintenance practices such as hardware inspection and
sensor calibration provide accurate information gathered through sensors. This algorithm depicts the main
contents of our automatic plant monitoring and care system, focusing on data processing, gathering and user
involvement through the Blynk app. The smartness of this system lies in being able to adjust to its
surroundings while providing an easy way of keeping the overall health of a plant [26].

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Figure 4. Blynk cloud dashboard

5. CONCLUSION
There has been a great revolution in precision farming and smart agriculture, achieved by creating
and implementing an auto care system plus a plant health monitoring system that utilizes ESP8266
microcontroller with the Blynk platform. Based on the findings of this study, it can be concluded that IoT
technology is effective and feasible for enhancing remote management of plants. Through these sensors,
there is a continuous checking of environmental conditions surrounding the plant like light quantity,
humidity, soil moisture, and temperature. This information is easily processed to the Blynk app operates as
an intuitive user interface for data presentation or visualization and also remote control from far distances.
Such a level of accessibility allows users to understand how they need to deal with their plants regardless of
where they are located geographically.
Among the automatic care characteristics include temperature and humidity regulation using fans,
light modulation as well as and automatic plant watering that is dependent on the soil moisture levels, which
are very effective in enhancing the healthiness and vibrancy of plants. This is facilitated by the rapid response
of this system toward changing external aspects, which ensures that the plant’s needs are met effectively and
efficiently. Also, this research strengthens the broader aims of conserving resources and agricultural
sustainability. The system continues with waste reduction; improvement in resource utilization efficiency,
and reduced physical effort thus carrying out ecologically conscious farming principles. In addition to this, it
can also be scaled up or down to serve various needs starting from huge amounts of agricultural enterprises to
small-scale gardens at home. This paper analyzes an automated plant healthcare tracking system along with a
care system that automates everything on a farm in a way that is cost-effective and practical. It depicts how
IoT technology has changed remote management issues as well as made environmental monitoring possible
for better plant maintenance. As technology evolves, we envisage more uses and improvements of this
system. Eventually, it will help speed up the development of more environmentally sustainable and efficient
agricultural practices in a world where change is constant.

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BIOGRAPHIES OF AUTHORS

Siddharth Swami received his bachelor’s degree from Uttarakhand Technical

University in civil engineering and completed his master’s in environmental engineering. He
has also qualified for the UGC NET and GATE exams. He has published various SCI articles
in Q1 journals and is currently pursuing his Ph.D. in Renewable energy from Doon
University. He has also published more than a dozen patents in the fields of sustainability,
technology, and innovation. He can be contacted at [email protected].

Rajesh Singh is an accomplished academician and researcher, holding a Ph.D. in

Engineering, with a distinguished MTech in Electronics and Communication Engineering
(ECE) and a B.E. in ECE with honors. With 18 years of academic experience, he currently
serves as a professor in ECE and the Director of the Division of Research & Innovation at
Uttaranchal University, Dehradun, India. Dr. Singh's international academic footprint extends
to a post-doctorate position at Universidad Internacional Iberoamericana, Mexico. He has
contributed significantly to research with 20 years of experience, securing funding for four
government projects, publishing 43 international books, and authoring 411 SCI/Scopus
papers. He can be contacted at [email protected].

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IAES Int J Rob & Autom ISSN: 2722-2586  313

Anita Gehlot is currently associated with Uttaranchal University as a professor

and head of Research and Innovation with more than fifteen years of experience in academics.
She is among the top ten innovators of the decade 2010-2020 listed by Clarivate Analytics
(WoS). She has more than 500 patents in her account including 145 Indian and international
IPR grants. She has published more than 250 research papers in referred journals
(SCI/Scopus). She has organized several workshops, summer internships, and expert lectures
for students. She can be contacted at [email protected].

Sameer Dev Sharma distinguished professional with a robust educational

background and extensive experience spanning over 16 years in teaching fields. He is
pursuing his doctoral degree from Uttaranchal University in artificial intelligence. His field of
expertise is in AI, machine learning, and programming languages. He can be contacted at
[email protected].

Dharmendra Kumar is an assistant professor in the Department of Computing

Science at Uttaranchal University. Mr. Kumar possesses teaching experience of more than 20
years. He can be contacted at [email protected].

An approach for modern gardening through monitoring and maintenance of plant health (Siddharth Swami)