SOTES A Smart Soil Testing Device with Web and Mobile Integration for Precision Agriculture

Abstract Background: Conventional soil testing methods are often time-consuming and inaccessible to small-scale farmers, limiting timely and data-driven agricultural decision-making. SOTES (Smart Soil Testing System) is an Arduino-based soil monitoring device integrated with web and mobile platforms for real-time soil analysis and crop recommendation. Objectives: This study aimed to (1) develop an integrated multi-parameter soil monitoring system, (2) provide real-time visualization and automated crop recommendations, (3) implement a dataset-driven crop suggestion module covering 22 crops, and (4) assess system usability among agricultural users. Methods: The system measures six soil parameters: nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), temperature, pH, and soil moisture. Sensor data are transmitted to a centralized database and matched with a predefined crop dataset to generate recommendations. A developmental research design was employed, and usability was evaluated using the System Usability Scale (SUS). Findings: Field testing using six soil samples resulted in a 66.67% successful recommendation rate, while two cases returned no results due to dataset limitations. The system demonstrated consistent real-time data acquisition and cross-platform visualization. Usability evaluation involving 20 respondents yielded a SUS score of 67.5, indicating acceptable usability. Novelty: The study presents an integrated soil monitoring and crop recommendation system designed for resource-limited environments. By combining multi-parameter sensing with a lightweight rule-based recommendation approach and cross-platform accessibility, the system provides a practical alternative to complex precision agriculture solutions. Keywords: Smart soil testing, Precision agriculture, Arduino, Internet of Things (IoT), Web and mobile integration