Design and Development of a Portable SMS-Based Ginger Soil Monitoring and Rule-Based Expert Support System

Ginger cultivation suffers from deficient yields due to traditional, inefficient soil monitoring methods that are often inaccessible to farmers in cropland. The main problem addressed is the lack of accurate soil data monitoring, specifically for ginger farmers, especially in areas with poor internet connectivity. hindering their ability to make informed decisions regarding crop management. The expert system generates tailored notifications and alerts based on readings of soil health conditions. The system integrates sensors for real-time monitoring of key soil parameters. Hardware components such as a moisture sensor, nutrient sensor, RTC module, cellular data module, I2 LCD, step-up converter, and 12V lithium-ion. The system’s portability is a key design feature, allowing for ease of use across various farm settings. The results demonstrated the system’s ability to accurately monitor soil parameters and reliably transmit data into LCD for insight into the farm and via SMS for awareness outside the cropland. The system proved its efficacy by achieving the improvement in soil monitoring capability by the evaluation result. The overall prototype evaluation yielded an overall weighted mean of 4.70, reflecting strong agreement among respondents regarding its functionality, effectiveness, and efficiency. System’s effectively enhancing farmers’ ability to manage their ginger crops more effectively.