Optimization of smart irrigation using low-cost weather stations and soil sensors: A systematic review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.70577/cieninter.v4i4.152Keywords:
smart irrigation, precision agriculture, IoT, low-cost weather station, soil sensors.Abstract
Context: Inefficient water use in agriculture is one of the major challenges to sustainability and food security. In this context, smart irrigation systems based on low-cost weather stations have emerged as an affordable solution within precision agriculture. Objective: To systematically analyze the scientific literature published between 2019 and 2025 on automated irrigation systems integrating low-cost weather stations. Methods: The PRISMA 2020 guide-lines were applied to conduct a systematic search in the Scopus, Web of Science, and SciELO databases, resulting in a final sample of 40 studies published in English and Spanish. Results: Most studies incorporated Internet of Things (IoT) technologies, soil moisture sensors, and evapotranspiration-based irrigation scheduling models. Reported outcomes included water savings ranging from 30% to 50%, reduced operational costs, and enhanced remote monitoring capabilities through open-hardware platforms such as Arduino and ESP32. However, several studies identified limitations related to the cali-bration of low-cost sensors, measurement stability, and connectivity in rural areas. These findings indicate that system performance depends not only on automation but also on the quality of climatic data and the implementation context. Conclusions: The reviewed evidence demonstrates that low-cost weather stations constitute a technically feasible and economically affordable solution for optimizing irrigation, particularly in small- and medium-scale agricultural systems. Nevertheless, their widespread adoption requires improvements in sensor reliability and communication infrastructure.
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