It is essential for farmers to monitor the volumetric water content of their soil. Monitoring the
water contents of the soil is to be done by soil moisture sensing systems. Efficient water usage
has significant financial and environmental benefits. This is only the case if the soil moisture
sensing systems are sufficiently environmentally friendly and affordable. Due to the large amount
of E-waste, such systems should be made environmentally friendly and ideally fully biodegradable.
A prototype soil moisture sensor has been provided. Currently, this soil moisture sensor is nonbiodegradable, and has to be powered using an Arduino Nano. To replace this a power delivery
system has been designed. It harvests energy from the sun and stores energy in supercapacitors.
Using a buck-boost converter a constant 3.39 V voltage is provided to the sensor. The power
delivery system can power the sensor for over 13 hours, while the sensor conducts measurements
every 30 minutes. The circuit can be charged within 15 minutes. The power delivery system and
sensor are encapsulated in a 3D printed case. This case encapsulates all electronics and allows
the solar cell to attach to it. 3D printing is practical for prototyping. Research has been done
to the possibility of the biodegradability of all used components. Finally, recommendations have
been made to perform further practical research into the biodegradability of certain components.
Insufficient research has been done in the biodegradability of electronic components. Further
research has the potential to significantly reduce E-waste, as small devices could greatly benefit
from biodegradable electrical components.