Solar Powered Electroculture Technique For Backyard Farming
Solar Powered Electroculture Technique For Backyard Farming
Solar Powered Electroculture Technique For Backyard Farming
ISSN: 2456-9992
Abstract: To make crops grow larger and faster has been the primary concern of agriculture for ages. All methods of cultivation techniques
and technologies have been developed to fulfill this aim; from simple crop rotation to complex synthetic fertilizers. Another cultivation
technology discovered in agriculture is the application of electricity and magnetism that can accelerate growth rates, increase yields, and
improve crop quality. This technology is called electroculture. Electroculture can protect plants from diseases and insect and likewise
reduce the requirements for fertilizer or pesticides. Farmers can grow bigger and better crops in less time, with less effort, and at a lower
cost. Rationalizing the concept of electricity’s role in plant growth stimulation and application of solar technology, the researcher designed
and developed a project that would help increase the growth of plants without losing their quality and nutrition. Electroculture with proper
watering system will help the plants grow faster. Moreover, the portable solar power supply may be used to power up the project for a more
cost effective operation. With this project, there will be an increase in the production of crops and may help resolve the shortage of food in
the years ahead.
3. Results and Discussion 3.1.4 Areas for Improvement. The past study
concerned only on using electroculture as a technique
3.1 Evaluation of the existing electroculture technique for plant growing whereas the present study added other
features such as solar power energy as the supply and an
3.1.1 Design. In the study of electroculture technique, automated watering system. Using solar power energy
the proponent planted a vegetable garden in their front as the supply is a means to conserve energy. A 12V DC,
yard. Tomatoes, eggplant, broccoli, peppers, and chard 40 AH deep cycle battery was used to store the energy
were planted. The plants were electrified by Samsung that is generated by the solar panel. The copper rods
phone charger with a 5v, 550 mA output. The charger used in the project and the trigger for the automatic
was connected to two three-inch nails by a 1.75 mm watering system got their supply from the solar power
diameter conductor, one connected to each wire of the connected to it. Having an automated watering system
charger. The nails were buried in the east and west sides. is one way to control or conserve water.
The Samsung charger was plugged in an outside
convenience outlet. The garden was manually watered 3.2 Design Consideration and Requirement
8:00 in the morning and at 4:00 in the afternoon.
3.2.1 Philippine Electrical Code (PEC). In order to
3.1.2 Construction. The garden wherein electroculture ensure the quality of the products, some provisions of
technique was applied is about 25 feet by 14 feet. The the Philippine Electrical Code were cited and considered
long axis was east to west. The nails which are as guides for the development and operation of a solar-
connected to the supply were positioned on the east and powered electroculture technique for backyard farming.
west sides. The positive electrode was about 8 feet away Researchers provided a functional prototype as to
to the right. Figure 1 shows the garden where simulate final design, considering aesthetics, materials,
electroculture technique was applied. quality and functionality. They reduced its size in order
to reduce its cost. The provisions cited were on storage
batteries, wiring and equipment supplied from batteries.
3.3 Design Plans and Specifications The total demand load will be the sum of the individual
load.
3.3.1 General Description of the Project. The solar-
powered electroculture technique for backyard farming Total load = 4.8 W + 30 W = 34.8 W x 1.25 = 43.5
is a project which aims to make crops grow larger and Watts (since 125% is the reciprocal of 80 percent and 80
faster. It is powered by a 50 Watts solar panel connected percent of the rating of the solar panel shall be its
to a 12 Volt DC deep cycle battery. The 12 Volt deep maximum allowable load.
cycle battery supplies the copper rods planted in the soil
through a charge controller. The project has three The researchers used a 50 W solar panel for further
different plots planted with 24 pechay plants per plot. improvement of the prototype. Pmax = 50W and
Plot A was intended for traditional plant growing nominal voltage was 12V.
without fertilizers. In plot B, two copper rods were
planted in the soil of each pechay plant soil. The copper Sizing of the Charge Controller. The researchers came
rods were placed at opposite sides of the plot and did not up with the size of the charge controller using the
touch each other. Using a solar charge controller, the parameter computed in sizing the solar panel.
solar panel charges the battery while the battery supplies Solar Panel = 50 W
the microcontroller. It is programmed that every 8 am Battery = 12VDC
and 4 pm the microcontroller will allow the passage of Ampere Rating:
electricity from the battery to the solenoid valve for the = (50W / 12VDC) x 1.25 = 5.2083 A
watering system and the copper rod for the
electroculture technique for two minutes. Lastly, in plot Twenty five percent (25%) of the ampere rating should
C, liberal amount of organic fertilizer (compost) was be added to take account the special conditions that
applied at the base of the plants and covered lightly with could occur, causing the solar panel to produce more
soil and watered immediately to give the plants enough power than normally rated (e.g. due to sunlight’s
nutrients. In plot A, there was no fertilizer used. The reflection off of water, extraordinary bright conditions,
plots were watered through an automated watering etc.).
system. This system was done by a program using an
Arduino supplied by the 12 Volt DC battery supply. Sizing of the Battery. The researchers provided
This Arduino is connected to a solenoid valve which batteries based on parameters computed in a worst case
triggers every 8am and 4pm. The solenoid valve is scenario that the solar panel will not be available due to
connected to a hose that connects the water supply and insufficient sunlight. The battery at full charge
the pulsating sprinkler in the end. The pulsating condition is assumed to be used 360 minutes (non
sprinkler automatically waters the plant whenever the continuous).
solenoid valve triggers. The growth of the pechay plants
is monitored by using a bullet type CCTV camera. The Therefore:
actual prototype of the project is shown in Figure 3. Ampere-Hour
= (5.20A)(360 minutes x 1 hour/60 minutes)
Ampere-Hour = 31.2 AH
Figure 6. Flowchart
The battery supplies the circuit and initializes the device and
is represented by a parallelogram. The RTC is a real time
clock which tracks the current time even if the
microcontroller does not have a power supply because it has
a separate battery. The microcontroller operates based on
real-time manner. The researchers set the time of watering
the plants, 8:00am and 4:00pm only, and the duration of the
process is set for two (2) minutes for each time set. The
Figure 4. Isometric View diamond indicates decision making process where the
Arduino decides if the set time is equal to the current time in
Figure 4 shows the isometric view of the project. The the RTC. If the Arduino decides that the set time is not equal
greenhouse is 2.4m x 1.3m x 1m with the three (3) to the current time, the Arduino repeats the process from the
partitions; Plot A, Plot B, Plot C. Electroculture plot has start until the Arduino reaches the set time equal to the
the copper rods installed 12cm from the base of the current time in the RTC. When the real time clock (RTC) is
plant. The project study has additional features: sprinkle equal to the time set, the Arduino sends electrical signal to
and CCTV camera. Sprinkler post of 1.25m and the the sprinkler’s relay (the solenoid valve is directly connected
solenoid valve post of 1m in height was installed 1.5m to the sprinkler’s relay), the sprinkler’s relay will allow the
from the greenhouse while the CCTV camera post of electric signal to flow to the solenoid valve. The solenoid
1.3m in height was installed from the distance of 2m will open up and allow the water to pass through for duration
from the greenhouse. of two minutes; the sprinkler is directly coupled to the
solenoid valve, which will water the plants. The
3.3.4 Circuit Diagram. The circuit diagram of the microcontroller is again returned to the start until it reaches
project and the connection of all components of project the condition set by the proponents.
is shown in figure 4.5. It composes of a solar panel,
charge controller, microcontroller, solenoid valve and 3.4 Testing Methodologies
the copper rods. Tests were conducted to determine whether the mechanism
and output of the system reached the desired output. A
growth test was conducted in order to establish the
effectiveness and efficiency of the prototype. To confirm that
the necessary output of the project was achieved, a CCTV
camera was used to monitor the growth of the plants.
Researchers will use a ruler to record the height of the plants
in each plot. In the first test, the researchers provided
seedlings of pechay and planted them in the three plots (plot
A, plot B and plot C). All the plots were provided with same
amount of water through an automated watering system. The
plants in plot B were electrocuted 24 hours a day while plot
A and plot C grew the plants in a conventional manner with
and without fertilizer, respectively. The testing lasted only
Figure 5. Schematic Circuit Diagram for two weeks. After such observations made for weeks, the
following results for different parameters set by the
3.3.5 Program and its Implementation. Figure 6 proponents are drawn.
shows the flowchart of the operation of the
microcontroller.
PLANT CONFIGURATION
PLANT CONFIGURATION
Conclusion
A well designed electroculture technique has great impact on
household income. As observed in the study, the normal
harvesting time of pechay plants is reduced by a week. This
means reduction in the consumption of water, fertilizers and
pests controls. Moreover, electroculture technique illustrates
low maintenance and operating cost that best fits for every
farmers growing vegetables plants. It will give farmers a
chance to grow high quality crops faster, reduce
environmental problems caused by using organic fertilizers
and increase their income.
References
[1]. Diprose, M. F., Benson, F. A. And Willis, A. J., The
Effect of Externally Applied Electrostatic Fields,
Microwave Radiation and Electric Currents on
Plants and Other Organisms, with Special
Reference to Weed Control, 1984
[3]. https://www/electrocultureandmagnetoculture.com
/science .hmtl
[4]. http://agris.fao.org/agris-search