Abstract

Author:
Sabarish B, Vijayalaxmi Chiniwar

Doi: 10.26480/taec.01.2025.35.38

This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License CC BY 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited

In traditional farming, irrigation pipes are manually deployed at the start of each crop cycle and retrieved before land preparation. This results in significant labor, delays, and frequent equipment damage. We propose an IoT-enabled retractable irrigation system that automates both watering and pipe handling. The system consists of a rugged motorized reel that winds and unwinds HDPE tubing based on commands from an ESP8266-based control node. Soil moisture sensors, environmental sensors, and a motor controller are integrated into a wireless node that communicates with a cloud dashboard via MQTT. The dashboard enables remote monitoring, irrigation control, and SMS alerts. This paper details the system design, components, and operational modes. Simulations are planned to validate performance under typical field conditions. This approach aims to reduce manual labor, minimize water usage, and increase equipment lifespan, especially for small and medium-sized farms.