DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLAR-POWERED AND AUTOMATED

DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR LETTUCE PRODUCTION

A Thesis Presented to the

Faculty of College of Engineering and Technology
Romblon State University
Odiongan, Romblon

In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering

By:
Agascon, Shairel M.
Faderanga, Naureen Mitzi F.
Gado, Mary Grace M.
Ladera, Manny M.
Macapas, Aizle Jam I.
Saturnino, Sheryl L.

May 2020
 APPROVAL PAGE

This thesis attached hereto entitled “DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION

OF AUTOMATED AND SOLAR-POWERED DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR
LETTUCE PRODUCTION” prepared and submitted by AGASCON, SHAIREL M.,
FADERANGA, NAUREEN MITZI F., GADO, MARY GRACE M., LADERA, MANNY M.,
MACAPAS, AIZLE JAM I., SATURNINO, SHERYL L. in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL
ENGINEERING is hereby accepted for oral examination.

BILSHAN F. SERVAŇEZ, Ph.D. ELBERT M. GARCIA, RPAE

Chairman, Panelist Member, Panelist

REY P. LILANG, RPAE ALFREDO F. FORTU, Ph.D.

Member, Panelist Adviser

Accepted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for DEGREE BACHELOR OF

SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL ENGINEERING.

ENGR. REY P. LILANG

Chairperson, Agricultural Engineering Department

BILSHAN F. SERVAŇEZ, Ph.D.

Dean, College of Engineering and Technology
Date:
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

First and foremost, praises and thanks to God for knowledge and wisdom, divine
mercy, shower of blessings and guidance despite of this pandemic, we are able to
complete the research successfully.

The researchers would like to extend their deepest appreciation and thanksgiving
to Dr. Alfredo F. Fortu Jr. for his unwavering support, patience, motivation, enthusiasm,
and immense knowledge and suggestions in the realization of this study.

We take this opportunity to extend our sincere thanks for invaluable support and
endless help of Dr. Bilshan F. Servanez for lending us some materials needed for the
study.

Acknowledged with much appreciation to Engr. Alvin Brecia, Engr. Elbert Garcia
and Engr. Jay Oliveros for constantly engaged themselves and being hands-on during
the implementation of the study and for their valuable comments and suggestions.

To the members of the faculty of College of Engineering and Technology for

academic support, guidance and encouragement extended to us.

To Dr. Arthur R. Ylagan, Vice President of Research who allowed us and give
permission to use the net house to conduct our study.

To Prof. Edgar V. Andalecio, Dean of College of Agriculture, Fishery and

Forestry and faculty member Dr. Julio Romeo T. Chavez for lending us a leaf area
meter with short orientation and demonstration on how to use this instrument needed for
the data gathering of the study.

To Prof. Edgardo F. Fadallan who spared his time and shared his knowledge
about the study.

Special thanks given to their beloved parents for their moral encouragements,
financial assistance as well as their spiritual support in every path the researchers take
and for being a constant source of inspiration.

Agascon, S.M.
Faderanga, N.M.F.
Gado, M.G.M.
Ladera, M.M.
Macapas, A.J.I.
Saturnino, S. L.
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

CONTENTS PAGE

TITLE PAGE i

APPROVAL SHEET ii

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT iii

TABLE OF CONTENTS iv

LIST OF TABLES v

LIST OF FIGURES vi

LIST OF APPENDICES vii

ABSTRACT viii

CHAPTERS

I. INTRODUCTION 1
Background of the study 1
Objectives of the study 4

Significance of the study 5

Scope and delimitation of the study 6
II. REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE 7
Probing for Efficient Utilization of Water Source for Irrigation 7
Efficiency of Drip Irrigation Method 8
Arduino System and Drip Irrigation Method 10
Advantages of Solar Power 11
Seeding of Lettuce 13
Research hypothesis 16
Definition of terms 16
III. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 19
Research Locale, Time of Study and Collaborations 19
Materials 19
Experimental Site Preparation 20
Renovation 20
Preparation of Seedlings 21
Transplanting 21
Experimental Layout 21
 Development of Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation System 22

Installation of the Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation System 25

Testing and Calibration 26
Data Gathering 26
Water Consumption 27
Harvesting 27
IV. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 28
Design of Drip Irrigation System 28
Reliability Test and Calibration 30
Data Gathering 33
Weekly Water Consumption 38
Harvesting and Distribution of Lettuce 39
V. SUMMARY,CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 40
Summary 40
Conclusion 41
Recommendation 43
REFERENCES 44
APPENDICES 48
 LIST OF TABLES

TITLE Page

1. Amount of water gathered from emitter in Block A1 31

2. Amount of water gathered from emitter in Block B2 31
3. Amount of water gathered from emitter in Block C3 31
4. Amount of water gathered from emitter in Block C2 31
5. Amount of water gathered from emitter in Block C1 31
6. Amount of water gathered from emitter in Block A3 31
7. Moisture content gathered by moisture sensor and 32
moisture meter reading
8. Pump operating data gathered using an android 33
phone timer
9. Data recorded from Leaf Area Meter 33
10. Fresh Weight of Leaves in (Kg) under two treatments 38
 LIST OF FIGURES

TITLE PAGE

1. Layout of the experimental site 22

2. Diagram of the Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation System 23
3. Flow chart of Automation Model of the System 24
4. Architecture of the System 30
5. Gathering of water discharged 31
6. Length of Leaves in (cm) under two treatments 34
7. Width of Leaves in (cm) under two treatments 35
8. Plant Height in (cm) under two treatments 36
9. Number of Plant Leaves under two treatments 37
10. Average Weekly Water Consumption under two treatments 39
 LIST OF APPENDICES TABLE

TITLE PAGE

1. Growth Performance (Week 1) 48

2. Growth Performance (Week 2) 51
3. Growth Performance (Week 3) 54
4. Growth Performance (Week 4) 57
 ABSTRACT

SHAIREL M. AGASCON, NAUREEN MITZI F. FADERANGA, MARY GRACE M.

GADO, MANNY M. LADERA, AIZLE JAM I. MACAPAS, SHERYL L. SATURNINO,

Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Engineering, Romblon State University, Odiongan,

Romblon. DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF SOLAR-POWERED AND

AUTOMATED DRIP IRRIGATION SYSTEM FOR LETTUCE PRODUCTION.

Adviser: Dr. Alfredo F. Fortu

Water plays vital role in our daily lives and potential lack of water in the future is

possible, so proper utilization of water starting in this era is very significant. As of now,

agriculture industries utilize 90% of water. In this reason, the researchers in this area

would benefit if the significance of water utilization would come to realization. Farmers

irrigate the crops without knowing what plants actually needed causing water run-off.

Before the design and implementation of automated drip irrigation system, knowing the

water requirement of the crop before irrigation is essential. Supply of electricity in rural

areas was expensive and unreliable, so using renewable energy as a source of power

would be a promising alternative. The research study selected lettuce as test crop to

plant in the 9mX18m net house divided into 3 plots. Every plot was divided into 4 blocks

and each block has 24 lettuce seedlings planted in two rows. It consists of 12 blocks

where half of it was irrigated using manual watering and the other half was irrigated by

the developed automated drip irrigation. To compare the water savings effectively, this

study conducted draw lottery method in selecting the area where manual watering and

automated drip method were located. Design of automation system is based on the

conventional method in period of irrigation but in terms of water quantity it is based on

moisture content sensor. The sensor settings were based on the recommended water

requirement of lettuce and the sensor calibrated based on the standard moisture meter.

Drip emitter was used in this study since this technology provides less water run-off.

This study also use solar energy and it was made of industry grade materials in

preparation for actual application. Growth and yield performance of lettuce was also

observed and found out that there is a slight difference in yield and growth parameters

such as number of leaves, length of leaves, width of leaves, height of leaves and fresh

weight of lettuce leaves. Due to this pandemic, manual watering performed better than

the drip irrigation. This occurred because the system was not monitored properly and

also due to limited knowledge of the student researchers on the system. On the other

hand, this study revealed that this technology could save up to 67% of water compared

to manual watering.
 Chapter I

INTRODUCTION

This chapter consists of background of the study, objectives, significance of the

study and scope and delimitations of the study.

Background of the Study

Rapid growing of population seeks for a greater demand in agricultural

production. To meet this demand, agriculture must provide a sufficient supply of food all

year round. However, as the population increases, the water supply needed for crop

production decreases. Scarcity in water availability hinders agriculture to increase crop

yield. Irrigation is the appropriate method to minimize water scarcity.

According to National Irrigation Administration (NIA), the Philippines has about

10.3 million ha agricultural land where around 3.1 million ha are considered irrigable.

With this land, proper irrigation method must be adapted for improvement of the water

use efficiency (WUE) for maximizing crop production.

Most crops that undergo inadequate irrigation led to yield reduction and poor

quality crops while excess irrigation results to water wastage. One of the most reliable

irrigation methods is the drip irrigation system. Water is directly applied to the root area

with the use of tubes and valves, thus water losses are minimized. Generally, most of

the irrigation systems are manually operated one. It can be replaced by an automated

irrigation that provide high crop yield, save water usage and reduce labor requirement.
 Irrigation services primarily need energy. But fossil fuels depletion and expensive

and often unreliable access to electricity create negative impact on the pumping

requirements for irrigation. These can be replaced by solar energy which is reliable, low

cost and climate friendly.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the aster or sunflower family

(Asteraceae) and considered one of the high value commercial crops in the Philippines.

It is known as one of the most widely and best opt leafy vegetable crops in our diet. The

Crop Statistics of the Philippines recorded 4.08 thousand metric tons production of

lettuce in 2018.

It is usually grown as a leaf vegetable with a height up to 30 cm. Lettuce

favorably grown in temperate countries and in some particularly elevated part of the

country. Loose leaf lettuce is one of the varieties of lettuce that forms a tender leaves

that are delicate and mildly flavored and comes in green and red and green or purple

color. It is one of the simplest lettuces to grow in home gardens and the type of grown

prefer by most home gardeners.

Lettuce like other leafy vegetables is rich in health-promoting compounds such

as vitamin C, B1, B2, folic acid, high in magnesium and little sodium. For eating

purposes lettuce should be fresh green-leaved because the greener the color of the

leaves, the higher is the content of vitamins and chlorophyll present on it.

The conservation and utilization of irrigation water is becoming increasingly

important in the lettuce yield to reach the optimal yield due to water scarcity. Loose leaf

variety of lettuce is heat tolerant and resistant to bolting which causes bitterness. For
producing healthy, tasty, good-quality lettuce, plenty of water is very important. To

ensure good harvest, one of the factors to consider is the fact that lettuce prefers

consistently moist, damp soil due to its shallow root system. Without getting enough

water, lettuce develops a bitter flavor. One of the important factor to keep lettuce have

the best flavor is following a consistent water scheduling. Roots play an important role in

absorbing water and nutrients and many studies shows that more roots develop under

drip irrigation system. Under net house conditions, measuring the status of the soil

water using sensors alongside the drip irrigation methods according to real time

measurement is necessary. Drip irrigation system can highly influence crop

performance and result in qualitative and quantitative improvements in lettuce yield.

The high water requirement of lettuce with their sensitivity to water stress and

drought due to shallow root system indicates that the limited or deficit irrigation is

difficult to implement successfully without causing growth deficiency and yield

reductions. On that account, frequent and uniform supply of water is extremely

important for lettuce yield to meet the water requirement of plants. Therefore, innovative

ways to increase the water availability use efficiency are needed. Irrigation technology

such as drip irrigation that will supply water at a uniform rate may be adopted for more

effective and rational use of limited supplies of water and to promote sustainable

utilization of resources.
 Objectives

The general objective of this study is to develop and implement a Solar-powered

and Automated Drip Irrigation System for Lettuce Production.

Specifically, the objectives of this study are:

1. To design a solar-powered and automatic drip irrigation system for lettuce

production

2. To assess the efficacy of the system in terms of:

a.) reliability in pump operation for dripping

b.) reliability in moisture content determination

c.) consistency in the amount of water dripped

3. To evaluate the growth and yield between the automated drip irrigation and

manual watering

4. To determine the water consumption of the automated drip irrigation system

compared to manual watering

 Significance of the Study

This study aimed to conceptualize the problems in irrigation in terms of inefficient

use of available water resources to meet the demands of water usage and lack of

adequate and irrigated water management. In other areas, the lack of water is a more

profound problem. Regardless of the cause, water scarcity impacts both human

populations and natural ecosystems. Most of the time, water resources are not used

efficiently and substantial amount of water are wasted. Hence, the researchers need to

utilize the available water efficiently to mitigate the scarcity of water supply. The use of

automated drip irrigation system is simple, easy to operate, and increase the efficiency

of water usage. It can easily determine the amount of water in the soil using suitable

sensor and provides precise water control that ensures equitable water distribution. An

automatic drip irrigation system is developed to make watering process more

convenient, by reducing the amount of manpower needed and ultimately save time as

well, and the same time maximizes the yield with consuming less amount of water.

Using solar panel is a good alternative to replace fossil fuel as the major energy

source because solar power is renewable at absolutely no cost to supply energy

infinitely. Therefore, the use of solar panels is environmental friendly.

Moreover, this study will be beneficial not only for farmers but also for the

researchers, and students to explore their knowledge on how efficient drip irrigation to

the growth and development of the crop. The Romblon State University will also benefit

in this research for future studies and experimental evaluation.

 Scope and Delimitation

This study was limited to development and testing of an automated and solar-

powered drip irrigation system for lettuce production. This study also tested the

reliability of the automation system in terms of timeliness, soil moisture sensor reliability,

and amount of water dripped. Moreover, the study tested the growth performance of

lettuce under drip irrigation and compared its mean growth performances to that of

manual watering in terms of length of leaves, width of leaves, plant height, leaf

chlorophyll content, and fresh weight of leaves. The observation for growth performance

parameters of lettuce was limited to one month done on a weekly basis.

 CHAPTER II

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

This chapter presents the review of related literature, theories, and studies

relevant to the study as well as the research hypothesis and definition of terms.

Related Literature

Probing for Efficient Utilization of Water Source for Irrigation

Common water source of farmers for irrigation are rainfall, river, pond and bore

wells. Even if the farm land has a water-pump, most of the time it is being kept stand-

still due to non-availability of grid power in the remote areas where the potential of sun

light availability is tremendous throughout the year. Increase in agricultural production

depends to a large extent on the availability of water and power. If the solar power is

harnessed, an agricultural pump can run during day hours without depending on grid

power. It is observed that in addition to water and power shortage, the farmers are not

aware of the scientific method of irrigating the agricultural land. By adopting a proper

scientific method, the farmers can save water, energy, laboring time and production cost

(C. Sethuraman and Kota Srinivas 2017).

According to Sonu Kumar (2017), the global scenario is categorized based on

increased demand for higher agricultural productivity and decreased availability of water

and power. These problems can be appropriately rectified by adopting an automated

solar power based drip irrigation system which is linked to soil moisture sensor. Solar

powered automated drip irrigation system (SPADIS) can be used for efficient drip
irrigation serving multiple needs arises in their day to day life. SPADIS supports efficient

drip irrigation; water management practices; increases yields; improve crop quality;

conserve water, energy and decreases fertilizer requirements.

Nowadays, it is a challenge to improve development of plant in respect to its

growth and to reduce costs which leads to an innovative idea of using an automated

irrigation system which will further help in better management of water and human

resources. Automated irrigation system has been developed using sensors technology

with Arduino to efficiently utilize water for irrigation purpose (Taneja and Bhatia 2017).

Efficiency of Drip Irrigation Method

Irrigation has been used during ancient times. Water resource plays important

role in agriculture. Most of the increased food production in the world will depend on

irrigation and water use efficiency (WUE). In all agricultural systems, irrigation is the

artificial application of water to land for the purpose of agricultural production. New

innovations for saving irrigation water, and thereby increasing crop water use efficiency

(WUE) are especially important in water-scarce regions by using improved irrigation

techniques is a priority for the agricultural sector (Ulas Senyigit, et al. 2013).

Irrigation methods have been developed because of decrease in current water

sources due to increased population and the pollution of water sources. The

implementation of such a system in the field can definitely help to improve the yield of

the crops and overall production. Irrigation process is done better before the proper
production and usage of water level, and there will be a chance to reduce man power

and the farmers need not to go every day (Sumeet Kumar 2017).

According to Nagaz (2012), an irrigation system is one of the most important

components affecting the growth and yield of agricultural produce from greenhouse

farming system. Water should be given in a proper amount and accurate time

application. Efficient use of water by irrigation is becoming increasingly important, and

alternative water application method such as drip, may contribute substantially to the

best use of water for agriculture and improving irrigation n efficiency. With the use of

drip irrigation systems, water and nutrients can be applied directly to the root level of the

crop, having positive effects on yield, water savings and increasing the irrigation

performance.

Drip method of irrigation helps to reduce the over exploitation of groundwater that

partly occurs because of inefficient use of water under surface method irrigation.

Environmental problems associated with the surface method of irrigation like

waterlogging and salinity are also completely absent under drip method of irrigation.

Drip methods helps in achieving saving in irrigation water, increase water use efficiency,

decrease tillage requirement, higher quality product, and increase crop yields (D.

Suresh Kumar 2010).

Using this irrigation system will promote more precise water quantity control and

higher water use efficiency. Water savings of up to 50% compared to sprinkler irrigation.

This technology is commonly used in agricultural production. Ideally, water is applied in

the proper amount to the root ball of the plant, minimizing water leaching from the root
zone and minimizing the evaporation since the water is not sprayed into the air. The

water can be emitted at uniform distances along a pipe with an emitter that directs water

to one plant volume of soil. It has a regulating effect on the environmental conditions

such as water, organic fertilizer and heat distribution have a significant effect on crop

growth and yield (Ma, et al. 2019).

Arduino System and Drip Irrigation Method

Majority of irrigation systems are manually operated one. These traditional

techniques are being replaced with semi-automated and automated techniques

suggested an automated concept of irrigation to use the water efficiently and effectively.

Automated Drip Irrigation system is implemented either based on the soil humidity or

based on the user input via SMS commanding systems. Former method is an isolated

irrigation system where the farmer doesn’t update with the irrigation status and later

lags in smart utilization of water due to user command without considering the condition

of soil. From that ever growing requirement of the population, modern techniques are

introduced to control the system. (G. Parameswaran and K. Sivaprasath, 2016).

Arduino is an open source microcontroller which can be easily programmed,

erased and reprogrammed at any instant of time. Based on simple microcontroller

boards, it is an open source computing platform that is used for constructing and

programming electronic devices. It is also capable of acting as a mini computer just like

other microcontrollers by taking inputs and controlling the outputs for a variety of

electronics devices. (Louis 2016)

 According to Casado (2018), building a smart irrigation system using Arduino (a

microcontroller) can perform better irrigation systems by increasing the precision of

measurements in moisture, pressure and water flow sensors and also automating

decisions.

The ideal method in cultivation is the drip irrigation system, the said method

requires less amount of water each time in frequent intervals, which keeps the soil

moisture at a low tension. Water and nutrient elements can be supplied to the root area

of plants by drip irrigation method without creating water stress. The automatic plant

watering system using Arduino has been designed and tested successfully. It has been

developed by integrated features of all the hardware component used. (Nikesh

Gondchawar and Dr. R.S Kawwitkar, 2014)

According to Kumar and Magesh S. (2017), the system has been tested to

function automatically. Furthermore, intelligent automatic plant irrigation system

concentrates watering plants regularly without human monitoring using a moisture

sensor. (Carpena 2005).

Advantages of Solar Power

In the study of Atul Sharma (2011), the global energy consumption is rising

rapidly. It is likely that environmental considerations will constrain the access to fossil

fuels in the future. As a result, a part of the increasing energy demand is likely to be met

by renewable energy sources like solar power. Theoretically, they could cover much

more than just the present worldwide demand for electricity consumption and can
provide an important contribution to climate protection. This system has advantages for

low-power demand and building-integrated systems. The solar energy based power

generating systems can play a major role towards the fulfillment of energy requirements

of industry.

According to Manton (2015), solar energy is a renewable energy resource that

can be processed in many ways to fit different areas that benefits a wide range of

people. It is an international and growing industry that may become a major source of

energy in the near future. Solar power allows them to provide energy to their remote

areas and use it for environmental and economic benefits.

Farmers also use solar energy. In Malaysia they use it to dry agricultural

products, bamboo and rubber. This demonstrates that solar energy can also be used

commercially. Solar energy is a versatile in regards to the ways globally, ranging from

residential to industrial use (Chua and Oh 2012).

Solar power lessens a country’s impact on the environment. Countries have

invested in solar energy to decrease their carbon footprint and their effects on global

climate change (Kurdgelashvili et al., 2012). They believe solar power policies will

reduce greenhouse gas emission, such as carbon dioxide. Solar energy is a cleaner

option than fossil fuels to produce electricity. It is known that fossil fuels release carbon

emission and contribute to global warming (Manton 2015).

Seeding of Lettuce

Originating from Europe and Asia, the lettuce (Lactuca sativa L.) is known in

human food from 500 years before the birth of Christ. In fact, the word “lettuce” is

derived from Latin root word “lac” meaning “milk”, referring to the milky juice found in

mature lettuce stems. It is an annual, herbaceous plant, very delicate, and large leaf of

varying consistency in varieties of function. Leaves can be smooth or curly and bright

green, dark green or purple coloring. The plant can present cabbage format trained

head or loose, and without forming head. Rich in fiber aids in digestion and proper

functioning of the intestine, in addition to presenting small mineral content such as

calcium and phosphorus. It has a similar format to plain lettuce with loose leaves but

small buckles on top of the leaves (de Oliveira, et al. 2016).

Lettuce is the most popular vegetable with the highest consumption rate and

economic importance throughout the world. Since the market values of early varieties

were high, recently grown in tunnels in limited extend (Bozkurt and Mansuroglu. 2011).

It is a vegetable that is widely cultivated due to the shortness of its vegetation time, the

fact that it can be grown as a second product and the high consumption ratio along with

economic return (Senyigit and Kaplan 2013).

The said plant is known as an annual plant that belongs to the family Asteraceae

and is a very important leaf vegetable primarily consumed fresh as a salad or in salad

mixtures with other kinds of fresh vegetables. Lettuce is a highly valued vegetable in

human nutrition not only for its richness in minerals and vitamins but also for the fact

that nowadays it is produced all year round, and consumed fresh so that all the
ingredients stay intact. As part of the study of antioxidant features of lettuce, vitamin C

(L-ascorbic acid) was determined in several types of lettuce. The abundance of

different types and varieties of lettuce and its affiliation with yellow-green-red vegetables

provides human nutrition with a very significant and high content of biologically

important active substances (mineral substances, vitamins, and organic substances) as

well as the color of substances from chlorophyll to anthocyanin (Djokovic, et al. 2011).

Over the last years, the World lettuce production has been constantly increasing (FAO

2006).

According to Cantliffe, et al. (2005) there are two methods to grow lettuce: Direct

sown from seed and from seed-started transplants. Some gardeners only direct sow

because they do not have time to start smaller. Poor stand establishment of direct-

seeded lettuce crops using both pelleted and raw seeds, particularly during conditions

of environmental stress, has led to the use of transplants as a means of establishing

economically viable plant stands. Other reasons growers were transplanting rather than

direct-seeding included improved plant-to-plant uniformity especially for an once-over

harvested crop such as lettuce, early-season weed control, more uniform spacing of

plants, and elimination of manual thinning densely seed rows. The general rule to

determine if the seedling is ready for transplant is when the seedling has three to four

leaves, it’s large enough to plant out in the garden (after it has been hardened off).

The crop cycle varies with the variety and growing conditions: in the greenhouse,

soil or hydroponic solutions, 40-50 days from sowing to harvest, and in the open field,

from 65 to 80 days. The recommended spacing ranges from 10 to 12 inches on the line

(row) and 10 to 12 inches between rows (de Oliveira, et al. 2016).

 Bozkurt and Mansuroglu (2011), reported that the yield and quality parameters of

lettuce; marketable head weight (yield), number of marketable leaves, leaf area, plant

height and diameters, plant dry weight, core diameters and firmness of head, leaf

chlorophyll content.

Another important aspect associated with lettuce cultivation is the climatic

condition, since its adaptation to places of high temperature and luminosity can cause

problems in its growth, preventing the crop from expressing its full productive potential.

When exposed to stress conditions, as in high temperatures, lettuce tends to reduce its

cycle, compromising the production and making the leaves more rigid, and also to

stimulating the tassel induction, an undesirable characteristic, since it makes the

vegetable unfeasible for commercialization. The maximum tolerable temperature for

lettuce is around 30°C, with the optimal growing temperatures are 4°C during night and

27°C during day. Thus, in regions with temperatures higher than the indicated, the

adaptation of cultivars may be difficult (Da Silva, et al. 2017).

According to an Agriculturist from DA-BPI Mrs. Divina Jose, lettuce grows best in

soil with a ph of 6 to 6.8 and in a silty clay loam, loam and clay loams soil. Soils with

high organic matter are preferred for good water holding capacity. When the soil is clay

(heavy/sticky soil), it is recommended to apply and mix soil conditioners such as

coconut coir dust, rice hulls or carbonized rice hulls (burned rice hulls) to make the soil

friable for easy root penetration and water percolation.

 Research hypothesis

For this research the following null hypothesis were forwarded.

1. There is no significant difference in the mean length of time for pump operations

as defined by the system controls.

2. There is no significant difference in the soil moisture sensor reading and the soil

moisture content taken through soil moisture meter.

3. There is no significant difference in the mean discharge volume over time.

4. There is no significant difference in growth and yield of lettuce under drip

irrigation and manual watering.

Definition of terms

To ensure that this research study is fully understood, the following terms are

hereby operationally defined.

Drip Irrigation-a system that provides slow but frequent dripping of water directly in the

root zone.

Arduino- an open source electronics platform based on easy to use hardware and

software.

Solar Panel- generates power from a renewable source, the sun. In this study, a 100 W

solar panel was used.

Water Pump- usually 12 V, it conveys water from the source to the plants.

Emitter- end devices which deliver water to the plants in a specific manner.
Growth performance- is the biological response of plants to cultured practices. In this

study, growth performance refers to length of leaves, width of leaves, height of the plant

and number of leaves.

Growth- refers to the quantitative development of lettuce that was observable by the

increase of its leave’s length and width.

Length- is the quantity measured from the base to the tip of the leaves of lettuce using

ruler in terms of millimeter.

Lettuce- refers to the lettuce green wave variety which is a leafy vegetable crop that

was used in the conduct of this study.

Number of leaves- refers to the total quantity of leaves after harvest.

Soil moisture sensors- measured the soil moisture content. In this study, industry

grade sensors were used.

Solenoid Valves- electromechanical valves that are controlled by stopping or running

an electrical current through a solenoid in order to change a state of the valve.

Weight- the measurement of the mass of the harvested leaves of lettuce, by using

digital weighing scale in terms of grams.

Width of leaves- refers to the measurements on the distance of lettuce leaves taken

by measuring across the leaves of the lettuce plant.

Yield- refers to the qualitative development of lettuce that was observable in the

increase of its leave’s number and weight.

Height of the plant- refers to the measured quantity from the surface of the ground up

to the tip of the highest leaf using a ruler.

 Chapter III

RESEARCH METHODOLOGY

This chapter includes the research methods used in the study. The location of

the study area, experimental site preparation, experimental layout, development of the

system, installation of the system, data gathering and harvesting were also included.

Research Locale, Time of Study and Collaboration

The field study was conducted at the net house of Romblon State University from
January to April 2020. This study was a collaboration between the Department of
Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering and Electrical Engineering. The site has an
area of 162 square meters.

List of Materials

Materials Qty.
Panel Nema3r 1 unit
12V Relay Module 4 channel 4 units
real time clock 1 unit
Arduino Mega 1 unit
Female header 1 set
Universal PCB 1 pc
Terminal Block 10 pcs
shrinkable tube 1 set
solar charging controller 1 unit
terminal lugs 1.25 mm2 200 pcs.
solid wire number #22 2m
royal cord 0.75mm2 500m
PVC Marker 1 set
wire connector female to male 1 bundle
moisture sensor 12 pcs
12V solenoid valve 12 pcs
12 DC motor pump 3 units
DC Speed Controller 3 units
1/2 PVC pipe 40 pcs
1/2 PVC pipe connector and 1 lot
 accessories
Solar Panel and Battery Support 1 lot
Raceway 1 lot
Stainless steel Pipe support 1 lot
Water tank support 1 lot
Dripper 144 pcs
dripper connecting hose 72 ft
cable tie (1 ft) 600 pcs

Experimental Site Preparation

Ensuring appropriate operation in the experimental site includes renovation of the

net house, preparation of seedling and proper transplanting method. The said

preparations were all discussed below.

Renovation

Type of proposed experimental site for this project is determined to be a net

house. Opportunely, the Romblon State University has a constructed net house near

Research and Extension building from 5 years ago. In order to promote proper

utilization of the said net house, the site was cleared from weeds (Appendix fig. 1) and

the nets were removed while the damaged parts of the frame were welded (Appendix

fig. 2). Repainting (Appendix fig. 3) was done after sanding and application of red oxide.

The plots were cultivated using crowbar and shovel (Appendix fig. 4). New nets were

sewed manually (Appendix fig. 5) using nylon thread and needle before attaching to the

frame (Appendix fig. 6).

Preparation of Seedlings

Loose-leaf variety was used in the study. With this, heat tolerance will be

ensured. Seeds were initially sown in plastic cups (Appendix fig. 7) to encourage well

growth. Two (2) seeds were sown in every cup having a mixture of vermi cast, partially

decomposed rice hull and garden soil with 1:1:1 ratio (Appendix fig. 8).

Transplanting

The seedlings were transplanted in the plots when these developed 4-6 true

leaves. The seedlings were watered 1 hour before transplanting. The soil was

compacted before cutting the paper cups to avoid damaging the roots. The lettuce was

planted at a spacing of 30 cm by 30cm based on the recommended spacing of lettuce.

A mixture of vermi cast, partially decomposed rice hull and garden soil with 1:1:1 ratio

was used as fertilizer. Weeds were immediately hand-picked as soon as observed.

Cultivation was done 2 weeks after transplanting.

Experimental Layout

The experiment was laid Randomized Complete Block Design (RCBD) with three

replications. The site has an area of 9m x 18m. There were 3 plots with a size of 1m x

16m and each plot was divided into 4 equal blocks with 2 treatments assigned

randomly. The distance between each plot was 1m. There was a total of 12 blocks with

a size of 1m x 4m in the experiment. Each block consists of 24 seedlings planted in 2

rows (Appendix fig. 9) with spacing of 30cm within rows and 30cm between rows based

on the recommended planting spacing of lettuce. The layout of the experiment is shown

in Figure 1.
 Figure 1. Layout of the experimental site

Design of the Solar-powered Drip Irrigation System

The design for the automation of the solar-powered drip irrigation system used a

system to control the irrigation’s water pressure and water delivery. The system was

composed of a solar panel (Appendix fig. 10), 12V Battery (Appendix fig. 11), Solar

Charge Controller, Relay, Moisture Sensor, DC water pump, motor controller, Solenoid

Valve, Real Time Clock (RTC), and an Arduino microcontroller (Appendix fig. 12). In

order to prevent power fluctuation and to have a reliable system, a stable power supply

was needed even at night time and to run the system as designed. The solar panel was
used to absorb solar energy and converted it into 12V DC electrical energy. The

converted electrical energy was stored in a battery in order for the system to have a

continuous supply of power. The solar charge controller was used to regulate the

energy to be stored in the battery to prevent it from overcharging. In this study, Arduino

based platform as MCU was used but based on the I/O requirements, Arduino Uno I/O

is not capable to handle such number of I/O’s therefore Arduino Mega was used. The

arduino microcontroller served as the brain of the system, it receives data and gives

command to run the system. The moisture sensor gathered data from the soil and send

it to the arduino microcontroller. A real time clock (RTC) was used to control the

operating time of the system. A motor controller was also used to control the speed of

the motor. The microcontroller processed the received data and was sent then to the

relay to switch on the water pump only if the soil has reached the specified moisture

content. The pressure of water coming from the water pump was regulated by the use

of solenoid valve and was then equally distributed through the dripper. At a specified

time delay the system switches off. A diagram of the system was shown below.

Figure 2. Diagram of the Solar-powered Drip Irrigation System

. Arduino Mega used in the study is set up by using Arduino software which is the

time and moisture of the soil are been monitored by the Arduino System. Irrigation was

done twice daily, 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. and stopped until it reached its

saturation point within these time range. Bu irrigating depends on the soil moisture

content if it is below the set level which is 95%. Figure 3 shows the flow chart of

Automation Model of the Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation System

Figure 3.

Flow chart of Automation Model of the System

 Installation of the Solar-Powered Drip Irrigation System

A solar panel at 100W with 1.2m x 0.55m x 0.03m dimension was used in this

study. A casing was constructed where the solar panel, battery and Arduino system was

mounted.

Tap water is used as source of water throughout the study. Water was conveyed

from the Research Building to the container drums (Appendix fig. 13) by a ½ diameter

pipe. A frame (Appendix fig. 14), 1.4m x 0.6m having a height of 0.65m was constructed

to hold the 2 drums, one for each treatment. Each 200 liter drum had a floating valve

that automatically stopped the flow of water from the source when it reached its

maximum capacity. Each drum had a tape measure to monitor the quantity of water

used in every treatment.

Each plot will have an individual DC water pump (Appendix fig. 15) that will

control water pressure and volume flow rate to attain discharge uniformity. Each plot

was installed by 16.5m main pipe line (Appendix fig. 16) having a ½ diameter. Below the

main line, sub main lines were installed, each having a dimension of 4m. The

arrangement of the drip irrigation and manual watering were randomly selected, that’s

why sub main pipes were installed for delivering of water to each block having drip

irrigation treatment. End caps were placed at the end of every pipe to avoid flowing of

water. To connect the extension pipes to the main line, an elbow was used. In between

the two pipe lines, the solenoid valve and the gate valve were installed (Appendix fig.

16). The solenoid valve was used to regulate the flow of water while gate valve can be
used as replacement if the solenoid valve did not function. Each block has also an

individual moisture content sensor (Appendix fig. 17) for monitoring of moisture. Twenty

four (24) drip holes having 5mm diameter were made in each sub main pipe line using

soldering iron having a spacing of 30cm based on the recommended plant spacing of

lettuce. Six (6) inches hose having a diameter of 5mm was connected to the pipe using

PVC pipe cement. The emitters were then attached to the hose.

Testing and Calibration

The calibration conducted were the amount of water delivered for dripping,

moisture content reading and operation time of pump. To test the amount of water

dripped by the emitters, plastic cups were placed under the emitters (Appendix fig. 18)

to gather water as the pump is turned on for 1 minute. The water gathered was

measured using syringe (Appendix fig. 19). The moisture content sensor was also

calibrated. To calibrate the moisture content sensor the reading obtained from this was

compared to the reading obtained from moisture meter. To test the running time of the

pump an android phone was used as a timer to measure the operating time. Three trials

were made and recorded.

Data Gathering

Plant growth parameters

The plant growth parameters were recorded weekly throughout the study. For

this purpose, six (6) plants in each replicate were randomly selected and tagged

(Appendix fig. 20) for growth monitoring. The growth and yield of the drip irrigation and

the manual watering were compared. The data obtained from these parameters were
statistically analyzed to find out the difference in growth and yield between drip irrigation

and manual watering.

Water Consumption

To determine the amount of water consumed in manual watering, the water

consumed in every plant was measured using syringe (Appendix fig. 21). The result was

compared to the average discharge of the emitters.

Harvesting

The lettuce was harvested one month after the transplant.

 CHAPTER IV

RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONS

Design of the Drip Irrigation System

The dripping system is composed of three (3) 12V DC pump that pushed the

water from the container drums to the emitters. It was specified at 5 liters per minute

maximum. Water flowed through PVC pipes divided into two components: the main pipe

line and the sub main pipe line. Each plot was installed by ½ diameter PVC pipe which

served as main pipe line, 16 m in length. Below the main pipe line, sub main line was

installed in each block. The emitters were attached to the sub main line. Moisture

sensor was also placed in each block allotted for drip irrigation.

The power system is composed of maximum 100 watts solar panel, a charge

controller and a 12 V battery. The system supplied power to the pump and the Arduino-

based control system. The charge controller regulated the amount of power from the

solar panel that was saved in the battery. It also protected the battery from over-

charging.

The Arduino-based control system is the center of the drip irrigation. This

performed many functions, which were to monitor the moisture content of the soil and to

start the pump when the soil moisture was below 95 %. To perform these functions, soil

moisture sensors placed in every block allotted for drip irrigation was coupled with

Arduino system. The program was made by Engr. Alvin John D. Brecia, a faculty of the

Electrical Engineering Department who’s a counterpart of this research. The program

was encoded in the Integrated Development Environment (IDE) of the Arduino. The
program ordered the relay switch that ran the pump. The pump ran for 1 minute and the

system checked the moisture content of the soil. After 4 seconds, if the required

moisture was not met, the pump would again start the operation. The date, time and

moisture content were stored in the system. The date and time were obtained from a

Real Time Clock (RTC). The relay also provided 5 volts to the Arduino in order to

operate systematically.

The schematic diagram of the drip irrigation system is found in Figure 4. The

figure showed the outline of the system that adapted an Arduino-based system for

controlling the discharge of water. It starts with the source of power, the solar panel. It

was used to convert the solar energy into DC electrical energy, which was usually 12

volts. This energy was used to provide automation in the system. A charge controller

regulated the amount of power stored in the battery. The data that were obtained by the

moisture sensor were delivered to the microcontroller.

The Arduino system processed the data from the soil moisture content and let

the pump to close at a specified time. To prevent the system from overvoltage, the relay

acted as a regulator.
 Reliability Test and Calibration

The calibration and testing was made to show whether or not the system can

operate as designed and to ensure its reliability.

The amount of water dripped by the emitters was determined in this test. To

obtain a uniform amount of water discharged, the emitter was calibrated. To calibrate

the discharged amount of water, plastic cups were used to collect the water from the

emitter. The water collected in the plastic cups was measured using syringe. The setup

of testing was shown in figure 5. The following tables shows the data obtained from the

3 trials.
 Figure 5. Gathering of water discharged

The result shows that table 3 block A3 has a highest mean discharged rate with

213 ml/min, while table 2 block B2 got the lowest mean discharged rate with only 143.5

ml/min. The emitter has a required pressure of 0.39 MPa to have a discharge of 2.2

L/min, but because there was no pressure gauge, a non-uniform discharge rate was

observed.
Amount of water gathered from each emitter
per block

Table 1. Block A1 Table 2. Block B2 Table 3. Block C3

Table 4. Block C2 Table 5. Block C1 Table 6. Block A3

 The soil moisture sensors used in this study were industrial-grade sensors.

Unlike others, these sensors were rust-free even prolonged exposure to soil and

moisture. To obtain a uniform moisture content reading, the soil moisture sensor was

calibrated. To calibrate the sensor properly, a moisture meter was used and their

readings were compared to ensure the reliability of moisture sensor reading. The result

of this study shown in table 7 shows that the reading from moisture sensor and moisture

meter does not differ significantly.

SENSOR MOISTURE METER

SAMPLES
READING READING

Sample 1 96% 96%

Sample 2 95% 93%
Sample 3 97% 95%
Sample 4 97% 96%
Sample 5 96% 95%

Table 7. Moisture content gathered by sensor reading and moisture meter

The calibration was conducted to ensure the reliability of the operation time of

pump. In the program, the operating time was set as "delay" and it was set for 1 minute.

The real time clock (RTC) was included in the system, serves as an independent time

record keeping device to record operating time. The device used was an android phone

with a stopwatch application. As soon as the pump starts its operation, the time

recording will begin and when the pump operation was stopped, the recording of time
will stop. The results of 5 trials are shown in table 8. The recorded times were constant

at 1minute.

TRIALS TIME
Trial 1 1 minute
Trial 2 1 minute
Trial 3 1 minute
Trial 4 1 minute
Trial 5 1 minute

Table 8. Pump operating data gathered using an android phone timer

Data Gathering

Leaf area meter (Appendix fig. 22) was initially used to measure the leaf length

and leaf width of the lettuce (Appendix fig. 23). However, it was observed that the

leaves tore while using the instrument. Lettuce leaves were curly while leaf area meter

was often used for flat surfaces only. Table 9 shows the accumulated data from the leaf

area meter.

Table 9. Data Recorded from Leaf Area Meter

Length of Leaves

Figure 7 presents the average length obtained from two treatments from week 1

to 4. The length of the leaf from “Drip Irrigation” treatment in first week was 0.52 cm

longer than “Manual Watering” treatment. On second week, the plants performed better

under “Manual Watering” treatment compared to the plants under “Drip Irrigation”

treatment reason why there was a high increase in the length of leaves in “Manual

Watering” than “Drip Irrigation” treatment. For third week, the length of leaves under

“Drip Irrigation” treatment increased 1.94cm while 1.84cm increased under “Manual

Watering” treatments. The average length of leaves in the fourth week increase 1.4cm

in “Drip Irrigation” treatment and “Manual Watering” treatment.

16

14

12
Length of Leaves (cm)

10

8
Drip
6 Manual

0
1 2 3 4
Weeks after planting
 Figure 6. Length of Leaves in (cm) under two treatments

Width of Leaves

Figure 8 presents the average leaf width as obtained in two treatments from first

week to fourth week. ”Drip Irrigation” treatment recorded 0.53cm higher than “Manual

Watering” treatment therefore, there was an increase in the average leaf width from the

first week of the experiment and started reducing from the second week until fourth

week. In second week, “Manual Watering” treatment increased higher leaf width

(3.98cm) while the shorter (2.6cm) was obtained from “Drip Irrigation” treatment. For

third week the leaf width under “Manual Watering” treatment increased 1.84cm

compared to “Drip Irrigation” treatment. At the end of the fourth week, “Manual

Watering” treatment had the highest leaf width (0.95cm) whereas the lowest was

obtained from “Drip Irrigation” treatment (0.49cm).

14

12

10
Width of Leaves (cm)

6 Drip
Manual

0
1 2 3 4
Weeks after planting
 Figure 7. Width of Leaves in (cm) under two treatments

Plant Height

Figure 9 presents the average plant height observed for the two treatments

during the plant growth. Generally, there was an increase in the height of the plants

over the weeks. In the first week, it was observed that the average plant height in “Drip

Irrigation” treatment was 0.03 cm higher than in “Manual Watering” treatment. In the

second week, there was a 3.52 cm increase in the “Manual Watering” treatment while

only 2.2 cm observed in “Drip Irrigation” treatment. In the third week, “Manual Watering”

treatment recorded an increase of 5.65 cm while “Drip Irrigation” treatment increased by

5.28. In the fourth week, “Manual Watering” treatment obtained the maximum average

height (24.05 cm) while only 22. 84 cm was recorded for “Drip Irrigation” treatment.

30

25

20
Plant Height (cm)

15
Drip
Manual
10

0
1 2 3 4
Weeks after planting
Figure 8. Plant Height in (cm) under two treatments
Number of Leaves

Figure 10 presents the average number of leaves obtained for two treatments.

There was an increase in average number of leaves for all treatments from the start of

the experiment to the end of fourth week. The average number of leaves for “Drip

Irrigation” treatment on first week was the same on the average number of leaves

recorded on “Manual Watering” treatment. From the second week through fourth week

there was a higher increased in “Manual Watering” treatment compared from “Drip

Irrigation” treatment. On second week, there was a higher increase of 3 average

numbers of leaves in “Manual Watering” treatment compared to “Drip Irrigation”

treatment with 2 average numbers of leaves increased. On third week, “Manual

Watering” treatment increased by 4 average numbers of leaves higher than “Drip

Irrigation” treatment with 3 average numbers of leaves added. For fourth week both

treatments obtained the same increase of 6 average numbers of leaves.

20

18

16

14

12
No. of Leaves

10

8 Drip
Manual
6

0
1 2 3 4
Weeks after planting

Figure 9. Number of Plant Leaves under two treatments

Fresh Weight of Leaves

Table 10. Fresh

Weight of Leaves in (Kg) under two treatments

As shown in Table 10, Block B1 (manual watering) recorded the maximum ( 2.55

kg) fresh weight of leaves while Block A3 (drip irrigation) obtained the minimum weight

of leaves.

Weekly Water Consumption

Figure 11 shows the weekly consumption of the two methods. The result shows

that manual watering consumed a maintained average of 706 liters of water weekly

while drip irrigation only consumed an average of 229.5 liters. After 4 weeks, a total of

2822.4 liters of water was used in manual watering while drip irrigation used a total

919.3 liters. It was revealed that about 67% of water was saved by adopting Solar-

powered Drip Irrigation.

 Average Weekly Consumption
800
700
600
500
Drip Irrigation
Liters

400
Manual Watering
300
200
100
0
1 2 3 4
Week

Figure 10. Average Weekly Water Consumption under two treatments

Harvesting and Distribution of Lettuce

Harvested lettuces were distributed to the RSU staff, front liners during the ECQ,

and students.
 CHAPTER V

SUMMARY, CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

This chapter presents the summary of the study, the conclusion and the

recommendations.

SUMMARY

This study designed and implemented solar-powered and automated drip

irrigation system for lettuce production. The automated drip irrigation consists of solar

panel, arduino microcontroller, charge controller, battery, pump, container drum, soil

moisture sensor and the drip irrigation kit. Calibration was done in terms of reliability in

the pump operation in dripping, reliability of soil moisture sensors and uniformity in the

discharge of each emitter to ensure the system performed as designed. This study also

evaluated the system in terms of growth performance of lettuce compared to manual

watering. The amount of water usage for each treatment was also calculated.

There were five parameters used in evaluating the automated drip irrigation

system in terms of growth performance of lettuce. These were plant height, number of

leaves, length of leaves, width of leaves, and the fresh weight of leaves. These were

observed in a weekly basis. All data gathered were analyzed.

 CONCLUSION

Solar-Powered Automated Drip Irrigated System (SPADIS) was developed for

irrigating the farm land. The Subcomponents of SPADIS consists of Arduino micro-

controller, Solar Panel Battery, Charge Control controller and other accessories such as

pump, water tank, and drip irrigation kit. It is an effective tool for the farmers who want

to conserve water and who also faces power shortage at their places where sufficient

sunlight is available.

Growth and yield performance of lettuce was also observed and found out that

manual watering have significantly higher growth performance in terms of number of

leaves, length of leaves, width of leaves, height of leaves and fresh weight of lettuce

leaves. Due to this pandemic, manual watering performed better than the drip irrigation.

This occurred because the system was not monitored properly and also due to limited

knowledge of the student researchers on the system. On the other hand, this study

revealed that this technology could save up to 67% of water.

In implementing this development for this research study, it performed as

designed and with this we calculated the actual usage water weekly. The water can be

saved up to 67% based on the data gathered, also based on the study we conclude that

67% of water irrigated by the farmer turns to nothing were it can be used for other

purposes like extension of agricultural land with same crop. And the result is very

promising to the farmers that will benefits in this study without knowing that the water

they irrigate can be utilize effectively by adopting this development study. Also by
adopting this development, irrigation of plant works automatically without human

intervention. The automated drip irrigation system is a feasible and cost effective

technique for optimizing water resources for increased agricultural production.

 RECOMMENDATION

1. Apply the designed automated drip irrigation in other commodities.

2. Adopt the study in a large scale area.

3. Study the feasibility of the system and the potential of commercialization in the

market.

4. Use different type of dripper which is the Multi-stream Dripper and evaluate its water

application efficiency.

5. To have a uniform water discharge, it’s better to use a Pressure Gauge.

6. Use the Programmable Logic Controller (PLC) for the innovation of the system and

compare to the Arduino system to determine which is the most efficient for automation

in terms of technology.
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APPENDIX A- TABLES

Appendix Table 1. Growth Performance (Week 1)

Appendix Tab
Appendix Ta
APPENDIX B- Figure

DOCUMENTATION
Appendix fig.1 Clearing of weeds Appendix fig.2 Welding damage part

Appendix fig.3 Repainting Appendix fig.4 Cultivation

Appendix fig.5 Net sewing Appendix fig.6 Attachnment of net

Appendix fig.7 Seedling medium Appendix fig.8 Fertilizer composition

Appendix fig.9 2 Rows plot layout Appendix fig.10 Solar Panel

Appendix fig.11 Battery Appendix fig.12 Arduino-based system

Appendix fig.13 Water drum Appendix fig.14 Water drum frame

Appendix fig.15 Water pump Appendix fig.16 Pipe lines, Solenoid and

Gate valve
Appendix fig.17 Moisture sensor Appendix fig.18 Calibration of discharge

on Automated Drip Irrigation

Appendix fig.19 Measuring discharge Appendix fig.20 Labeling of samples

of Automated Drip Irrigation

Appendix fig.21 Measuring discharge of Appendix fig.22 Leaf area meter

Manual Watering

Appendix fig.23 Data gathering using Leaf area meter

Appendix fig.24 The growth performance of lettuce in week 1

Appendix fig.25 The growth performance of lettuce in week 2

Appendix fig.26 The growth performane of lettuce in week 3

Appendix fig.27 The growth performance of lettuce in week 4

Appendix fig.28 Harvesting of lettuce

Appendix fig.29 Weighting of fresh leaves

Appendix fig.30 Packing of lettuce

Appendix fig.31 Distribution of lettuce

 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Researcher was born in Comod-om, Alcantara, Romblon on March 03,

1995. He was the second among the four siblings of Mr. Tally G. Agascon and Mrs.

Gina M. Agascon. He is presently residing at Barangay Comod-om, Alcantara,

Romblon.

He finished his primary education at Comod-om Elementary School located in

Brgy. Comod-om, Alcatara, Romblon year 2006. He took his secondary education at

Alcantara National High School and graduated in the year 2011.

He is currently a candidate for graduating students in Bachelor of Science in

Agricultural Engineering at Romblon State University.

His greatest ambition is to become a successful Engineer someday.

SHAIREL M. AGASCON
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Researcher was born in Togong, Banton, Romblon on July 20, 1998. She

was the second among the five siblings of Mr. Vercinal F. Faderanga and Mrs. Mariani

F. Faderanga. She is presently residing at Barangay Togong, Banton, Romblon.

She finished her primary education at Banici Elementary School located in Brgy.

Banici, Banton, Romblon year 2011. She took her secondary education at Banton

National High School and graduated in the year 2015.

She is currently a candidate for graduating students in Bachelor of Science in

Agricultural Engineering at Romblon State University.

Her greatest ambition is to become a successful engineer someday.

NAUR

EEN MITZI F. FADERANGA

 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Researcher was born in Balogo, Calatrava, Romblon on November 17,

1998. She was the youngest among the four siblings of Mr. Audie f. Gado and Mrs.

Maria Loty M. Gado. She is presently residing at Barangay Balogo, Calatrava, Romblon.

She finished her primary education at Balogo Elementary School located in

Brgy. Balogo, Calatrava, Romblon year 2011. She took her secondary education at San

Andres National High School and graduated in the year 2015.

She is currently a candidate for graduating students in Bachelor of Science in

Agricultural Engineering at Romblon State University.

Her greatest ambition is to become a successful engineer someday.

MARY GRACE M. GADO

 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Researcher was born in Agutay, Magdiwang, Romblon on March 11, 1994.

She was the eldest among the four siblings of Mr. Rey Sandy R. Pacio and Mrs. Emily

M. Ladera. He is presently residing at Barangay Agutay, Magdiwang, Romblon.

He finished his primary education at Agsao Elementary School located in Brgy.

Agsao, Magdiwang, Romblon year 2006. He took his secondary education at Agutay

National High School and graduated in the year 2011.

He is currently a candidate for graduating students in Bachelor of Science in

Agricultural Engineering at Romblon State University.

His greatest ambition is to become a successful engineer someday.

MANNY M. LADERA
 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Researcher was born in Magsaysay, Occidental, Mindoro on October

06,1998. She was the youngest among three siblings of Mr. Arturo C. Macapas and

Mrs. Imelda I. Macapas. She is presently residing at Barangay Poblacion, Magsaysay,

Occidental, Mindoro.

She finished her primary education at Magsaysay Central School located in

Brgy. Magsaysay, Occidental, Mindoro year 2011. She took her secondary education at

Magsaysay National High School and graduated in the year 2015.

She is currently a candidate for graduating students in Bachelor of Science in

Agricultural Engineering at Romblon State University.

Her greatest ambition is to become a successful engineer someday.

AIZLE JAM I. MACAPAS

 BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH

The Researcher was born in Tuguis, Looc, Romblon on July 19, 1998. She was

the youngest among the six siblings of Mr. Sunny G. Saturnino Sr. and Mrs. Daphne L.

Saturnino. She is presently residing at Barangay Tuguis, Looc, Romblon.

She finished her primary education at Governor. I. Gonzales. Elementary School

located in Brgy. Tuguis, Looc, Romblon year 2011. She took her secondary education

at Looc National High School and graduated in the year 2015.

She is currently a candidate for graduating students in Bachelor of Science in

Agricultural Engineering at Romblon State University.

Her greatest ambition is to become a successful engineer someday.

SHERYL L. SATURNINO