| Aldover, Arvin B.; Aquino, Jennifer Jane R.; Dela Cruz, Arven Klein J.; Diomampo, Joan N.; Magtira, ReoJezbin E.; Maniaga, Maribeth Mhiko C.; Nicolas, Val John G.; and Escano, Katherine T., RECE |
| The demand for fresh herbs in the Philippine market has dramatically grown. The researchers found out that there is a scarcity of the supply of the fresh herbs and several problems like space and herbs sensitivity account for this. These prevailing difficulties were treated by the researchers as an opportunity to enhance a new way of plant propagation; thus, a smart plant incubator was developed. Its goal was to provide plant life in a minimized space and even without sunlight. The researchers also integrated the Internet of Things technology in it, making it smart. It was powered by NodeMCU to make internet connectivity possible. The smart plant incubator monitors and controls humidity, temperature and soil moisture, which are the predominant factors that affect plant growth. Different sensors were embedded in the incubator to monitor these. In addition, different output devices, such as lights, fans and water pump were used to regulate the controlled parameters. All activities were monitored and controlled using the designed GUI which was available on iOS and Android devices. Furthermore, Spiral Methodology was employed which aided the researchers to develop the prototype systematically. The researchers also asked agricultural offices to evaluate and certify their prototype’s effectiveness and reliability. Twenty-four plants were used including: 8 Italian Basil, 8 Spearmint and 8 Lemon Balm plants. For more than one month, about 95.83% of plants, or 23 out of 24 have lived and grown using the smart plant incubator, compared to 37.50% or 9 out of 24of plants, using manual farming. Through the developed prototype, researchers were able to find a new way to enhance plants propagation. |
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