Abstract
Pivot irrigation has been introduced as an engineering solution to cultivate large areas of farmland without increasing water usage. Although research studies have proposed different types of pivot irrigation systems, several challenges must be addressed to create a successful system. These challenges include determining crop water requirements, IoT components and architecture, and compatibility, as well as data interpretation, environmental factors, scalability, and result validation. This paper provides an auto-validation method for a complete IoT pivot irrigation model based on the Penman–Monteith equation. Auto-validation is crucial to protecting the pivot system from sensor errors caused by telecom network interference or natural factors. Furthermore, the proposed model effectively addresses all the aforementioned challenges, making it the first comprehensive IoT solution. This paper also develops a benchmark framework for evaluating pivot irrigation systems, providing a standardized basis for performance assessment in future research. As an initial experimental study, the evaluation was conducted using a single crop type (grass) at one field site over a period of 49 days, representing a proof-of-concept validation. Real-world experiments were performed to assess the accuracy and applicability of the proposed model. The results demonstrate significant improvements over traditional irrigation methods, highlighting the system’s effectiveness in optimizing water usage and enhancing agricultural productivity.
Data availability
The dataset supporting the findings of this study has been made publicly available on Kaggle and can be accessed at: https://www.kaggle.com/datasets/tareqalhmiedat/sensor-dataset-for-the-penmanmonteith-equation.
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Acknowledgements
The authors extend their appreciation to the Deanship of Research and Graduate Studies at the University of Tabuk for funding this work through Research No. 0113-1444-S.
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A.O.E., S.E., and T.E. developed the conceptualization and methodology, and wrote the main text, and A.L., O.M.A., M.E., A.B conduct the experiments and developed the software, R.M.A, M.A., A.M. validate the experiments and results. All authors reviewed the manuscript.
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Elfaki, A.O., Albelwi, S.A., Lakhouit, A. et al. An auto-validation method for a complete IoT pivot irrigation model based on the Penman–Monteith equation. Sci Rep (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46804-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-46804-3
