Miguel Ángel González García

Prof. Dr. Miguel Ángel González García


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

3Years (2024-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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19 December 2024 in Sensors
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
JDJorge Dafonte Dafonte
Jorge Dafonte Dafonte
MGMiguel Ángel González García
Miguel Ángel González García
EFEnrique Comesaña Figueroa
Enrique Comesaña Figueroa
MTMaria Teresa Teijeiro
Maria Teresa Teijeiro
Javier J. CancelaJavier J. Cancela
Javier J. Cancela
Weather and soil water dictate farm operations such as irrigation scheduling. Low-cost and open-source agricultural monitoring stations are an emerging alternative to commercially available monitoring stations because they are often built from components using open-source, do-it-yourself (DIY) platforms and technologies. For irrigation management in an experimental vineyard located in Quiroga (Lugo, Spain), we faced the challenge of installing a low-cost environmental and soil parameter monitoring station composed of several nodes measuring air temperature and relative humidity, soil temperature, soil matric potential, and soil water content. Commercial solutions were either too expensive or did not meet our needs. This challenge led us to design the low-cost sensor system that fulfilled our requirements. This node is based on the ESP32 chip, and communication between the nodes and the gateway is carried out by LoRa technology. The gateway is also based on the ESP32 chip. The gateway uploads the data to an FTP server using a Wi-Fi connection with a 4G router while simultaneously storing the data on a memory card. The programming of the code for the nodes and the gateway is performed using the Arduino IDE. The equipment developed is proven to be effective and for managing vineyard irrigation based on the built-in sensors, with replicable results. It is, however, essential to calibrate the capacitive sensors for measuring soil water content in each soil type in order to enhance their ability to produce reliable results. In addition, the limits marking the beginning and end of irrigation tasks must be adjusted to local conditions and according to the producer’s specific vineyard objectives.