Improving the Monitoring and Remote Control Functions of Integrated Solar Panel Agricultural Land in Bendosewu Village

Abstract

The Tawang Makmur Farmers Group (KTTM) is located in Tawang Hamlet, which has a productive agricultural and plantation area of more than 75.000 ha. It has more than 30 members, led by Moh. Chilmi. Rice is the main commodity, followed by corn and wheat. Meanwhile, in plantations, cabbage, tomatoes, melons, and oranges are generally grown. Based on the results of interviews that have been carried out, the main problem faced is the selling price of rice which is unstable and tends to fall, while every year production costs are increasing. This forces farmers to have side jobs to meet their daily needs. Thus, practically farmers need a monitoring and remote control mechanism to monitor the water storage capacity and can turn on or turn off the irrigation system of agricultural land. The design of the irrigation system offered utilizes the Internet of Things (IoT) and renewable energy using solar panels as a power source. To control and monitor rice fields, a mobile application is made that contains information in the form of data on water level, humidity, and the surrounding temperature. The results of the service carried out have a good impact in reducing the operational costs of agriculture production compared to the methods used later. Furthermore, KTTM members can monitor and control the irrigation system via smartphones while doing other work or away from their farms.