Title: Greenhouse Plant Monitoring and Control System

Client: Department of Agronomy

Group: DEC15-14

05 / 01 / 2015

PROJECT
PROPOSAL

The engineering
design process is
the formulation
of a plan to help
an engineer build
a product with
a specified
performance goal.

MANI MINA
Senior Design Instructor

TABLE OF CONTENTS

3

LETTER OF TRANSMITTAL

7CLIENTS
8

TEAM MEMBERS

10BACKGROUND
12REQUIREMENTS
13

PROBLEM STATEMENT

14

MARKET SURVEY

16

OUR SOLUTION

18SPECIFICATIONS
20

COUNTER ARGUMENTS

22

PROJECT TIMELINE

23

DETAILED COSTS

25APPENDIX

12 August 2014
Diego Ortiz
1515 Agronomy Hall
Ames, Iowa 50014
515.294.9721
Dear Diego,
Enclosed is a project proposal for a new plant monitoring system for the Department of Agronomy.
This proposal details the work to be completed by Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECpE)
Senior Design group DEC15-14 during the spring semester of 2015. The new plant monitoring
system will provide researchers with the necessary tools to precisely monitor and control
environmental conditions in the development of genetically modified sorghum.

KEY CONCEPTS OF THE PROPOSED SYSTEM:

`` Measure and record soil moisture, leaf temperature, and water consumption of each plant.
`` Control water flow to individual plants with a solenoid valve.
`` Transmit data to the internet, accessible via downloadable format or interactive web UI
`` Expand to concurrently monitor and control 48 plants

We would like to thank you in advance for your consideration of this proposal. We are confident that
this document will showcase the best of what this new plant monitoring system has to offer. Please
feel free to contact us for further information.
Sincerely,

Michael Mead
Senior Design Group DEC15-14
dec1514@iastate.edu

Individually Representing
Jacob Moyer

Matt Clucas

Brian Bahr

Andrew Hutchinson

ABSTRACT
The Iowa State University Department of Agronomy is conducting research on the
effects of changing the genome of sorghum plant for use in biofuel production.
To gauge the effectiveness of genome alterations, growth factor data, including
plant stress and water usage, are needed for each individual plant in the
experiment. Currently, the plant monitoring system does not meet the researchers
requirements. It only provides record of soil moisture. Additionally, the data
collection is a manual process. To remedy this issue, Senior Design Group DEC1514 is proposing a customized system comprised of forty eight sensors that record
soil moisture, leaf temperature, and water usage. The system as a whole will
aim for a budget of $20.00 per sensor, much lower than the $110.00 per sensor
of the currently used system. Data will be remotely accessible via a web-based
user interface. The proposed plant monitoring system will cost the Department
of Agronomy less money, while increasing time efficiency and expanding the
magnitude of data collected.

CLIENTS
The system resulting from this project will be used for Diegos research. Dr. Dong is overseeing the
project as the advising faculty member for electrical and computer engineering senior design course.

DIEGO ORTIZ

DR. LIANG DONG

XINRAN WANG

End User

Project Advisor

Advising TA

Diego is a researcher
for the Department of
Agronomy studying under
Dr. Maria Salas Fernandez.
Her research program is
devoted to develop superior
sorghum lines to be used as
lignocellulosic feedstock for
biofuel production.

Dr. Dong is a Tenured

Associate Professor in the
Department of Electrical and
Computer Engineering at Iowa
State University. His research
includes Micro-ElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS),
lab on a chip, microfluidics,
photonics, optics, and smart
materials and structures.

Xinran is a doctorial student

studing under Dr. Dong.
Her focus area is electronic
circuits for biochips and MEMS
devices.

(http://faculty.agron.iastate.edu/
mgsalas/)

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Clients

PROJECT TEAM
The senior design team consists of five undergraduate seniors, three computer engineering and two
electrical engineering majors. In addition to project responsibilities completed as a group, individual
responsibilities are listed here.

JACOB MOYER

BRIAN BAHR

MATT CLUCAS

Group Leader

Communications Leader

Webmaster

Course Work Focus Area:

Software Systems

Responsible for creating signal

input circuits for the Arduino
micro controller

Course Work Focus Area:

Software Systems

Internship Experience:
Amazon.com
Responsable for creating the
web server application and
programming the Ardunio
micro controller
Computer Engineering Major

Electrical Engineering Major

Internship Experience:
Pioneer, Rockwell Collins
Responsible for creating the
web server application and
programming the Arduino
micro controller
Computer Engineering Major

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Project Team

ANDREW HUTCHINSON

MICHAEL MEAD

Key Concept Holder

Key Concept Holder

Course Work Focus Area:

Communications

Course Work Focus Area:

Embedded systems

Internship Experience:
Lennox, Elemech Inc.

Internship Experience:
Garmin, 3M

Responsible for creating a

circuit to control the solenoid
valve with the Arduino micro
controller

Responsible for programming

Wi-Fi micro controller
firmware, designing Arduino
micro controller device
interface printed circuit board

Electrical Engineering Major

Computer Engineering Major

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Project Team

10

BACKGROUND
ETHANOL PRODUCTION
YEAR

STARCH ETHANOL

2014

14.30

2013

13.29

2012

13.22

2011

13.93

2010

13.30

2009

10.94

2008

9.31

2007

6.52

2006

4.88

(BILLION GALLONS)

HISTORY OF ETHANOL
Ethanol is a major contributor to the energy security of the United States, a major source of
economic growth in Iowa, and a major reductant of greenhouse gas emissions that contribute to
climate change. The figure above, provided by the Renewable Fuels Association, shows the volume
of ethanol produced from corn has remained stagnant since 2010. Starch ethanol can not meet
the total biofuel demand and also causes increased food prices. Therefore, the development of
alternative biofuel sources, such as cellulose-based crops, is crucial for the efficient production of
ethanol continuing in the future. Recognizing the importance of biofuels, the Congress passed the
Energy Independence and Security Act in 2007. By requiring 22 billion gallons of cellulosic ethanol be
produced by 2022, biofuel research is further incentivised.

AREA OF RESEARCH
Carbon assimilation through photosynthesis is the basis of crop productivity. Considering there
is a direct association between photosynthetic efficiency and biomass yield, the discovery and
exploitation of the genetic architecture controlling carbon assimilation could have a significant
impact on biomass yield for biofuel production.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Background

11

THE BIG PICTURE

The Department of Agronomy has initiated a sorghum breeding program for
biofuel production at Iowa State University. Diego Ortiz is on the team investigating
altering genes/alleles associated with higher leaf photosynthetic capacity under
field conditions. Plant growth and development is a function of temperature, light,
humidity, carbon dioxide, oxygen, water, chemicals, pathogens, etc. Precise and
quick detection and control of these environmental conditions is crucial in the
development of genetically modified plants.

REQUIREMENTS
The Department of Agronomy is requesting a plant monitoring an control system. Boiled down, the
new system needs to monitor and control multiple environmental factors, provide a user interface
for remote data analysis, and have the potential of large scale expansion. The system must maintain
the exact moisture content specified by the user so that the plant experiments are accurate. Sensors
must measure the soil moisture content and update the server with the measured data. The data
must be updated for viewing at least once every two hours. Data must remain on the device for
the duration of the experiment while available to copy of the device incrementally and may also be
downloadable from the server via the internet. The system must be detachable from each pot so the
plants can be moved.

FUNCTIONAL
What should the new system do?
`` Record: The system must record leaf temperature, soil moisture level, and water delivered.
`` View: System includes a graphical user interface for displaying collected data. The client must be
able to view data from each plant automatically collected into a single .csv file.
`` Control: The client must be able to specify a regulated soil moisture level for each plant. The
system must maintain a specified soil moisture level for each plant.

NONFUNCTIONAL
How should the new system do so?
`` Expandability: The system must have the ability to monitor up to 48 plants simultaneously.
`` Reliability:The system must take regular measurements for the duration of the experiment.
`` Accuracy: The moisture sensors must measure the soil moisture content entire pot, and the
temperature sensor must record the temperature of the top leaf of the plant.
`` Affordable: Total system cost must be less than $1000.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Requirements

13

PROBLEM STATEMENT

CURRENT SYSTEM
Decagon Devices Em50 Data Logger and EC-5 Moisture Sensor
The current system as a whole can only record data from five plants, as shown by the five-port box
in the figure. Gathering data logs from the sensor interface box requires the researcher to plug
a serial to USB cable into the devices comm port. The data remains only on the laptop on which
it was downloaded, and a flash drive must be used to transport the data to any other computer
the researchers wish to use for analysis. This data collection must be done daily and requires that
the researcher travel to the greenhouse. The new system should allow researchers to access data
without leaving their office. Another major flaw is the dated software interface which is designed for
Windows XP. If the researchers update their laptops, the program may become incompatible.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Problem Statement

14

MARKET SURVEY
At a Glance
Sensors
Light, temperature, soil
moisture, fertilizer level
Software
Application for smartphones
and tablets using iOS and
Android
Data Transmission
Bluetooth Smart
Power
AAA Batteries
Cost
$59

FLOWER POWER BY PARROT, INC.

Flower Power by Parrot measures light, temperature, soil moisture, and fertilizer level. It uses
bluetooth to transmit data to a smartphone application. The smartphone application provides
realtime data analysis. Flower Power fulfills part of the Department of Agronomys requirements,
namely wireless transmission of soil moisture data.
Flower Power is not a valid solution because it extensively differs from the specifications. While it
includes a user interface with data analysis, the data is not static and can only be viewed through
the smartphone application. Flower Power is wireless, but uses bluetooth to transfer data which
means it is not expandable due to pairing. Leaf temperature, required by the new system, is not
measured by Flower Powers sensors. Most importantly, the cost of Flower Power is higher than the
Department is willing to pay. Forty eight Flower Power devices would exceed the budget by 300%.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Market Survey

15

COST COMPARISON
EXPANDING CURRENT SYSTEM

$9,234.00

Unit Cost: $205.20 per plant

The new system requirements call for concurrent soil moisture measurements of forty eight
plants. To expand the current system, nine additional dataloggers and forty three more moisture
sensors would need to be purchased. The cost of the Em50 datalogger is $476.00 and the cost of
the EC-5 soil moisture sensor is $110.00 (see Appendix on page 25). On top of this cost, the client
would have to manually collect data from ten separate dataloggers every day. This system does
not measure leaf temperature or water-used per plant either.
FLOWER POWER

$2,832.00

Unit Cost: $59.00 per plant

The Department of Agronomy would need to purchase forty eight Flower Power devices to
replace the current system. Since Flower Power requires a smartphone to collect data, a
researchers smarthphone would need to be donated to the project to avoid additional cost.
Also many of the sensors, such as fertilizer level and temperature, would not be used by the
researchers.

Neither expanding the current system of soil moisture sensors or switching to Flower Power devices
meet the requirements of the Department of Agronomy for a new plant monitoring and control
system. Both options highly exceed the budget and do not include major requested features.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Cost Comparison

16

OUR SOLUTION
The Senior Design Group DEC15-14 is proposing to create a remote plant monitoring and
control system with accompanying user interface. The system will provide concurrent,
real-time logging of leaf temperature, soil moisture content and water delivery for forty
eight plants.

KEY FEATURES
`` Measures water delivery, soil moisture content, and leaf temperature
`` Maintains desired soil moisture content level via automatic watering
`` Collected data will be displayed using a website interface with downloadable logs and analysis tools.
`` Total system cost is less than $1000 (unit cost of $20.00 per plant).

One feature that commercial plant sensors cannot offer is the automatic watering of a plant when
low moisture is detected. Since the client is using these sensors for research on modified plant
conditions, not all plants will require the same amount of water. Controlling soil moisture introduces
further costs to each sensor with the addition of a solenoid water valve and plumbing to each plant.
The solenoid valve will control the amount of water given to each plant.
Each sensor is connected to an micro controller, and each micro controller wirelessly transmits
data logs to an off-site web server, accessible by any authorized user. The user interface on the web
server will display all forty eight plants in a table, allowing the user to label each plant with a name
of their choosing. Depending on which plant is currently selected, graphs outlining water usage,
soil moisture, and leaf temperature will be shown above the table. In addition, the user may set the
soil moisture content to be maintained by the automatic watering process for an individual plant.
The interface allows plants to be searched and sorted in ascending and descending by all of the
previously stated parameters.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Our Solution

17

HARDWARE DIAGRAM

Type-K Thermocouple
Attached to top leaf of plant to
measure temperature
Solenoid Value
Opens by applying 12V across
the contacts to water plants
Resistive Soil Probe
Buried near the roots of the
plant to measure soil moisture
Micro controllers and Sensor
Interface PCB
Attached to the side of the
plant pot to process and
transmit data

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Our Solution

18

SPECIFICATIONS
SYSTEM OVERVIEW

Web Browser

DATA LOGGER AND ANALYSIS TOOL

A Linux, Apache, MySQL, PHP (LAMP) web server is used to store and analyze the plant sensor data
as well as individual control the moisture of each plant. It provides a REST service to receive HTTP
requests from the plants. The service validates and stores requests made from web clients to make
sure that the client is a plant and the data is valid. After validation the data is stored, and emergency
analysis is done to check for errors. If there are errors, researchers will be notified.

PLANT MONITORING AND CONTROL DEVICES

Arduino Uno R3 microcontrollers are used to collect data and control water delivery for each plant
individually. The moisture sensor and thermocouple are attached to the Arduino via analog-todigital converter (ADC) ports. Communication with the webserver is completed using Wi-Fi. ESP-8266
microcontrollers with custom firmware act as a serial bridge to the web server. Serial connection
between the Arduino Uno R3 and ESP-8266 is achieved by connecting the RX/TX pins.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Specifications

19

WEBSITE USER INTERFACE

Data for all plants in the system is accessible through a website. The client can view each of the
collected data types separately for each plant. ChartJS JavaScript library is used to display graphs
of each type of data. The time range of the graphs can be manipulated by the user. Plants can
be categorized based on custom input for easy access. The desired soil moisture content can be
individually set for each plant too.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Specifications

20

ANTICIPATED COUNTER ARGUMENTS

MOISTURE SENSOR
One notable compromise by the development team is the use of a different model moisture
sensor than the model desired by the clients. Due to cost limitations placed on the project, is was
necessary to select a less expensive sensor while introducing a potential reduction in measurement
accuracy. The development team feels this sensors model is appropriate for this project based on
individual unit cost. If the clients still desire their preferred sensors, then they can compromise on
the remaining components and features to dedicate more of the budget to the moisture sensors
themselves or they can consider increasing the development budget to account for the pricier
model.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Counter Arguments

21

MAINTENANCE
System maintenance is another point of contention. As the development team consists of
students in their final or near-final year of school who are working together in a temporary
project group, it raises the question of how the system will be maintained in the future. Within
a few months, the development team will be unavailable to correct any issues in the device or
interface. In addition, the students may not be fully familiar with the process of creating the
proposed device and other similar devices. Clients may rest assured, as the development team
recognizes the significance of this project with regard to ongoing and future research. The
sensors will be developed in the most professional way possible, allowing outside parties to
maintain the device in the future.

DURABILITY
Finally, system longevity is a major concern. In terms of physical longevity, the greenhouse used
for sorghum research is a haven for environmental factors that may affect sensor performance
and condition, including water, soil, and concentrated high temperatures. Naturally, the
development team will place the device in a protective container, but even components properly
protected against such threats will experience degradation in the research environment. In
terms of system design, the components used may be outdated within a few years. For
example, the current Decagon system relies on technology and design practices were outdated
years ago. While the development team cannot guarantee the longevity of the technology
used in the system, it should be noted that the low price point makes replacement a viable
option. The natural inclination is use expensive technology for a longer period of time than
comparable cheaper options, meaning the proposed sensors allow for earlier replacement than
technologically comparable commercial models. Overall, the development team intends to
create a system that will possess a respectable use life.

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Counter Arguments

22

DETAILED COSTS
Unit Cost: $24.95 per plant
Higher system cost is attributed to the thermocouple specifically required by the client. Without the
thermocouple, the cost per unit would have been $8.95, which is within the Departments budget.

DELIVERABLE

Time & Cost Estimate

Sensors
Resistive Soil Probe

48

$0.95

$45.60

Type K Thermocouple

48

$16.00

$768.00

Arduino Uno R3 Micro controller

48

$3.00

$144.00

ESP-8266 Wi-Fi Micro controller

48

$2.50

$120.00

48

$2.50

$120.00

SUBTOTAL

$1,076.60

SALES TAX

7.00%

TOTAL

$1,153.03

Logic

Devices
Solenoid Valve

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Detailed Costs

23

COST COMPARISON
PROPOSED SYSTEM

FLOWER POWER

EXPANDED OLD SYSTEM

$1076

$2832

$9234

Measures Soil Moisture

Measures Soil Moisture

Measures Soil Moisture

Expandable to 48 plants

Expandable to 48 plants

Expandable to 48 plants

Measures leaf
temperature

DOES NOT Measure leaf

temperature

DOES NOT Measure leaf

temperature

Remote data collection

Remote data collection

ON-SITE data collection

Automated water
delivery

NO Automated water
delivery

NO Automated water
delivery

Measures water used

DOES NOT Measure

Water used

DOES NOT Measure

Water used

Plant Monitoring & Control System

Detailed Costs

24

H. R. 631
in accordance with subparagraph (B) and, in the case of any
such renewable fuel produced from new facilities that commence
construction after the date of enactment of this sentence,
achieves at least a 20 percent reduction in lifecycle greenhouse
gas emissions compared to baseline lifecycle greenhouse gas
emissions..
(2) APPLICABLE VOLUMES OF RENEWABLE FUEL.Subpara
graph (B) is amended to read as follows:
(B) APPLICABLE VOLUMES.
(i) CALENDAR YEARS AFTER 2005.
(I) RENEWABLE FUEL.For the purpose of
subparagraph (A), the applicable volume of renew
able fuel for the calendar years 2006 through 2022
shall be determined in accordance with the fol
lowing table:
Applicable
volume of
renewable
fuel
Calendar year:
(in billions of
gallons):
2006 ..............................................................................
4.0
2007 ..............................................................................
4.7
2008 ..............................................................................
9.0
2009 ..............................................................................
11.1
2010 .............................................................................. 12.95
2011 .............................................................................. 13.95
2012 ..............................................................................
15.2
2013 .............................................................................. 16.55
2014 .............................................................................. 18.15
2015 ..............................................................................
20.5
2016 .............................................................................. 22.25
2017 ..............................................................................
24.0
2018 ..............................................................................
26.0
2019 ..............................................................................
28.0
2020 ..............................................................................
30.0
2021 ..............................................................................
33.0
2022 ..............................................................................
36.0

(II) ADVANCED BIOFUEL.For the purpose of

subparagraph (A), of the volume of renewable fuel
required under subclause (I), the applicable volume
of advanced biofuel for the calendar years 2009
through 2022 shall be determined in accordance
with the following table:
Applicable
volume of
advanced
biofuel
Calendar year:
(in billions of
gallons):
2009 ..............................................................................
0.6

2010 ..............................................................................
0.95

2011 ..............................................................................
1.35

2012 ..............................................................................
2.0

2013 ..............................................................................
2.75

2014 ..............................................................................
3.75

2015 ..............................................................................
5.5

2016 ..............................................................................
7.25

2017 ..............................................................................
9.0

2018 ..............................................................................
11.0

2019 ..............................................................................
13.0

2020 ..............................................................................
15.0

2021 ..............................................................................
18.0

2022 ..............................................................................
21.0

H. R. 632
(III) CELLULOSIC BIOFUEL.For the purpose
of subparagraph (A), of the volume of advanced
biofuel required under subclause (II), the
applicable volume of cellulosic biofuel for the cal
endar years 2010 through 2022 shall be deter
mined in accordance with the following table:
Applicable
volume of
cellulosic
biofuel
Calendar year:
(in billions of
gallons):
2010 ..............................................................................
0.1

2011 ..............................................................................
0.25

2012 ..............................................................................
0.5

2013 ..............................................................................
1.0

2014 ..............................................................................
1.75

2015 ..............................................................................
3.0

2016 ..............................................................................
4.25

2017 ..............................................................................
5.5

2018 ..............................................................................
7.0

2019 ..............................................................................
8.5

2020 ..............................................................................
10.5

2021 ..............................................................................
13.5

2022 ..............................................................................
16.0

(IV) BIOMASS-BASED DIESEL.For the purpose

of subparagraph (A), of the volume of advanced
biofuel required under subclause (II), the
applicable volume of biomass-based diesel for the
calendar years 2009 through 2012 shall be deter
mined in accordance with the following table:
Applicable
volume of
biomassbased diesel
Calendar year:
(in billions of
gallons):
2009 ..............................................................................
0.5

2010 ..............................................................................
0.65

2011 ..............................................................................
0.80

2012 ..............................................................................
1.0

(ii) OTHER CALENDAR YEARS.For the purposes

of subparagraph (A), the applicable volumes of each
fuel specified in the tables in clause (i) for calendar
years after the calendar years specified in the tables
shall be determined by the Administrator, in coordina
tion with the Secretary of Energy and the Secretary
of Agriculture, based on a review of the implementation
of the program during calendar years specified in the
tables, and an analysis of
(I) the impact of the production and use of
renewable fuels on the environment, including on
air quality, climate change, conversion of wetlands,
ecosystems, wildlife habitat, water quality, and
water supply;
(II) the impact of renewable fuels on the
energy security of the United States;
(III) the expected annual rate of future
commercial production of renewable fuels,
including advanced biofuels in each category (cel
lulosic biofuel and biomass-based diesel);

QUOTE
f
Bill To:

Iowa State University

2115 Coover Hall
Ames, IA 50014

Phone:
Fax:
Valid Thru

05-23-15
Qty

Part #

Date

Quote #

04-23-15

2015042303

Ship To:

Cust #

Pg

47275

Iowa State University

2115 Coover Hall
Ames, IA 50014

Phone:

Terms

NET30

Sales Rep

Shipping Terms

ECZIRR

Description

Ship Via

FedEx Ground
Unit Price

Ext. Price

5.00

40593 EC-5 Soil Moisture Sensor, 5m Cable,

Stereo connector for use with Decagon
loggers

$110.00

$550.00

1.00

40800 Em50 Digital Data Logger, 5-channel,

for use with all Decagon sensors,
self-enclosed, batteries included

$476.00

$476.00

1.00

30887 USB to Stereo, Cable Adapter, 0.81m

(3 ft) cable (free cable)

-$0.00

$0.00

1.00

20452 LIT, Manual, Em50 Logger

-$0.00

$0.00

$1,026.00
This Quote is good for 30 days unless otherwise noted. All prices in U.S. Dollars (USD) unless otherwise noted. Shipping charges, if not quoted, may
be added to the final invoice. All Custom Orders are final and non-refundable.

Decagon Devices, Inc.

2365 NE Hopkins Ct Pullman, WA 99163
Phone: (509) 332-2756 Fax: (509) 332-5158 Email: sales@decagon.com

Iowa State University

ECpE Senior Design Group DEC15-14
dec1514@iastate.edu