Deployment of sensor nodes for aquaculture in western Godavari delta: results, challenges and issues

In this paper, design and development of a real-time water quality monitoring framework for aquaculture ponds has been presented. This wireless sensor network framework consists of sensor nodes to measure water pH, dissolved oxygen, water temperature, atmospheric temperature and pressure using sensors and transmit this information to the data storage and analysis module. Alerts on physico-chemical parameters of water are made available to the farmers through designed mobile application. The framework has been deployed in two testbeds, namely end-user shrimp farm and an institution pond, for the evaluation of system feasibility and robustness. Statistical analysis of the data collected through the system deployed in these testbeds was conducted, and it was observed that these physico-chemical parameters of water are within range, which depicts that the pond water is suitable for the growth of shrimp and fish. Feedback collected from the end-users (local aquaculture farmers) conveys acceptability of the system by them. Learnings and research challenges observed during system deployment have also been enumerated.