Development and Field Evaluation of an IoT-Based Smart Irrigation System for Vegetable Production in Semi-Arid Senegal

Abstract

Agriculture plays a central role in Senegal’s economy, contributing about 8% to GDP and providing nearly 70% of economic activity. However, it relies heavily on seasonal crops and is increasingly affected by rainfall deficits linked to climate change. Irrigated agriculture offers an alternative but faces challenges such as limited water availability, labor-intensive manual watering, and low adoption of modern techniques.To address these issues, this study presents the design and implementation of a smart irrigation system that automatically determines crop water requirements based on field parameters (temperature, air humidity, and soil moisture) and local climate conditions. The system was tested on onions, tomatoes, and potatoes, three major crops in Senegalese market gardening.

By automating irrigation and enabling remote control through ICT tools, the system reduces manual labor, optimizes water use, and minimizes environmental impact. Over a one-month experimental period, the system achieved an average 21% reduction in water use compared to manual irrigation, with mean monthly requirements of 4.2 m³ for onions, 4.6 m³ for tomatoes, and 4.1 m³ for potatoes. These results confirm the efficiency and adaptability of the proposed IoT-based approach for smallholder farmers under semi-arid conditions.