Small-Scale Precision Agriculture: A Case Study Applied to a Seed Germination Chamber

Precision agriculture is one of the most relevant paradigms in recent years, as it represents the integration of information technologies with traditional agriculture. However, a decentralized approach to food production is necessary, taking advantage of limited spaces in urban areas such as rooftops, patios, gardens, etc. The application of precision agriculture on a small and medium scale will be vital in this regard, since much of the technology that is currently integrated is oriented to massive production. In this document, an example of precision agriculture for small-scale production is shown by developing a low-cost germination chamber based on a Raspberry Pi control card, as well as the use of a Fuzzy Logic for the control of environmental variables. Methodology V was implemented, there adopting as control parameters the temperature and relative humidity of the substrate within the germination chamber. Tomato seeds were used to evaluate plant development during the first 30 days of life by comparing yield between plants developed in the germination chamber and plants developed under natural environmental conditions. The control system based on Fuzzy Logic proved to be efficient in maintaining temperature and soil moisture within the desired ranges, with an error of respectively; this resulted in obtaining a quality plant compared to control plants.