Practical Integration of IoT, Intercropping, and Gravity-Fed Drip Systems for Water-Efficient Smallholder Farming

Abstract

Water scarcity presents a growing challenge to agricultural productivity in developing regions. This paper presents an integrated approach combining IoT precision irrigation, intercropping techniques, and gravity-fed drip systems for smallholder farmers. Laboratory experimentation utilized ATmega2560 microcontroller with environmental sensors across three upland crop systems. A scalable field deployment architecture was designed using STM32 microcontrollers with CC1101 RF modules. Mathematical modeling revealed significant water savings: IoT precision irrigation alone (8.6%), intercropping with IoT (19.0%), gravity-fed drip irrigation (22% baseline), and 28.7% when IoT integrates with gravity-fed systems, with complete integration achieving 36.9%. Assessment of implementation feasibility showed intercropping ranked highest due to low implementation barriers, while IoT systems ranked lowest despite their technological benefits. The study proposes a phased implementation roadmap that prioritizes accessible techniques before technological investments, effectively bridging advanced irrigation technology with practical smallholder agriculture deployment. Future research should explore climate-specific adaptations and economic optimization models for broader implementation.