Wireless Sensor Networks for Fertilizer Quality Monitoring Framework

This PhD research project focuses on developing a framework using Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) to monitor fertilizer quality throughout the supply chain in Tanzania. The study aims to identify factors facilitating the development of this framework and to design a system for the Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA). The research investigates the application of WSNs to automate fertilizer quality testing, reduce costs, and improve efficiency. The methodology includes literature review, qualitative methods such as semi-structured interviews, and observations. The proposed solution involves a system that uses sensor technologies to detect impurities, monitor fertilizer components like PH, nutrients and moisture content, and generate automatic codes for tracking. The project also addresses research questions related to framework implementation, integration with other systems, and prototype performance. The research will provide a step-by-step guide to implement the project.

Running Head: WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORKS MONITORING SYSTEM 1
PhD Research and Thesis
To identify the factors that can facilitate the development of a framework that uses the
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for monitoring the quality of fertilizer in the supply
chain in Tanzania
Student
Date

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 2
Abstract
This report explains various factors which have been considered to determine the
development process of the framework that uses Wireless Sensor Networks in determining the
quality of fertilizers in Tanzania. The research aims at identifying methods that use wireless
sensor networks (WSNs) to monitor the quality of the fertilizers on every stage of supply chain
management. Another idea drawn from the case study is to find ways in which Framework can
be developed to provide an automated environment in which the quality of fertilizers can be
monitored before the supply process is completed. (Sohn, 2005)
Tanzania Fertilizer Regulatory Authority (TFRA) is a body in Tanzania responsible for
ensuring that the fertilizers supplied in the country are of high quality and does not contain much
of its acidity. The body will rely on the research report to come up with a system framework
which will help them to ensure that high quality fertilizers are supplied into the country. (Qi,
Shen and Dou, 2017)
In supply chain management, there are so many activities to flow. Hence, it is not that
easy but complex to understand. The system, requires an automated system which will help
reduce the complexity and make the change management to become easier for the industry
managers to perform their tasks. TFRA will use this report to re-engineer its system of the supply
chain management process by implementing a Wireless Sensor Networks system that will help in
checking the quality of fertilizers. ("Arduino Official Store | Boards Shields Kits Accessories",
n.d.)
The report will provide a literature review to enhance the implementation of the Wireless
Sensor Network management tool to help in the monetization of quality fertilizers until the last

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 3
stage of supply chain management. (Sorensen, Skouby and Jefferies, n.d.). The research has been
done based on various documentaries and the information has been obtained from different
sources including the written documents, similar working systems and the results based on
experimental setups on a similar topic. ("Arduino Starter Kit Multi-language | Arduino Official
Store", n.d.)

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 4
Contents
Abstract.......................................................................................................................................................2
Introduction.................................................................................................................................................5
Aims and objectives.....................................................................................................................................5
Research Questions.....................................................................................................................................6
The importance of the research..................................................................................................................7
The proposed solution.................................................................................................................................8
Wireless Sensor Network Overview............................................................................................................8
Literature Review......................................................................................................................................10
The Wireless Technologies used by TFRA in the Supply Chain...........................................................11
System Frameworks for monitoring of fertilizers by TFRA........................................................................12
Research and Methodology design...........................................................................................................14
The quality of fertilizer..............................................................................................................................15
Research Methodology..............................................................................................................................15
Methods of data collection........................................................................................................................16
Results and Discussion...............................................................................................................................18
Problem Identification...............................................................................................................................18
Objectives of problem identification.........................................................................................................19
The management information system......................................................................................................19
Stakeholders and stakeholder management.............................................................................................20
Processes in the Supply Chain...................................................................................................................21
System monitoring and evaluation............................................................................................................22
Strategical Evaluation................................................................................................................................23
Conclusion and Recommendations...........................................................................................................25
Recommendations.....................................................................................................................................25
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................................26
References.................................................................................................................................................28

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 5
Introduction
Supply Chain Management is a business process that involves different kinds of business
process models and function in order to be achieved. (Zhang, 2011). It implies that the
participants exercise different roles and procedures so that they can achieve supply chain
management. In every business being carried out, there are measures in which every product or a
service a company is offering has to be followed while undertaking procurement processes.
(Oosterom, Zlatanova and Fendel, 2005)
This report describes the methods in which they can be applied to develop the
framework. The framework must be a business intelligence system that uses sensors to determine
the grade of the fertilizers by detecting some of its components using sensor technologies. The
system will be able to identify some certain impurities present in the fertilizers. (Iskander, Kapila
and Karim, 2010)
The report will help the reader to understand the problem statement inside the TFRA, the
solution identified for the same problem, the methodology that will be used as an approach and
the implementation techniques used to perform the research process. (Papajorgji and Pardalos,
2014)
Aims and objectives
The following are the main aims why the system framework and this research was carried
out include; (Laet and Schauwers, 2005).
The main objective of this report is to design and develop a system that will help in
monitoring the quality of fertilizers in supply chain management in Tanzania. (Anibere &
Egbokhare, 2007)

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 6
Also there is a specific objective of why this research is being carried out. The specific
objectives why this case study report was done include the following; (Quandt, 2002)
1. To develop a system that automates the processes in which fertilizers are being tested so
that fast delivery of services is achieved
2. To reduce the cost of recruiting so many employees to perform the manual test while
checking the validity of fertilizers in Tanzania.
3. To come up with a Wireless Sensor Networks which will help to automate the
monetization of fertilizers in Tanzania by TFRA
4. To determine the reliability and the performance of the prototype which was developed.
Research Questions
During the development process, a number of questions had to be researched so as to
allow the researcher to understand what is needed for the project to be implemented without fail.
The following are the research questions that the researcher had to perform during the case study.
(Xiang, n.d.)
1) What are the factors that might facilitate the development of a framework that uses the
Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) for monitoring quality of fertilizer in the supply chain
in Tanzania?
2) How is the Framework going to be implemented in the supply chain? How are they
connected with other systems as they must be integrated together for smooth working
within the technology environment? Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) will be used for
monitoring quality of fertilizer in the supply chain be developed? ("Arduino CNC : 8
Steps (with Pictures) - Instructables", n.d.)

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 7
3) How can Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) based prototype for monitoring the quality
of fertilizers be developed as per the developed framework?
4) What is the performance of the developed prototype? (Joe, 2009)
The importance of the research
The research will help TFRA industry to have a technology solution that can be used
during the fertilizer inspection process. The quality of the fertilizer will be checked through a
wireless sensor technology where the system will scan some of the major components present in
fertilizers. The components include; fertilizer PH, the nutrients present and the date of expiry of
fertilizer. (Al-Qadi and Murrell, 2011)
TFRA in Tanzania currently uses the information available on the bags used for storing
fertilizers to check on the quality of fertilizers. The information obtains through this method of
fertilizer quality testing may give incorrect information. (Ren & Du, n.d.). This report clearly
explains the problem and provide ways in which the solution will be achieved. Framework
methodology procedures in which the technology solution can be implemented. The solution that
is using wireless sensor networks to test the quality of fertilizers by checking on the presences
and the state of various fertilizer components such as the PH, nutrients and the moisture content.
This report will help the researcher to provide a step by step guidelines to be used during
the implementation stage of the project. (Li & Zhao, 2010). The report provides pieces of
evidence of all the existing projects that have been accomplished and are working. The
framework is clearly designed on the flow layout of the real system.

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 8
The proposed solution
The case study discusses mainly the proposed solution which is the application program
in which the fertilizer quality can be tested using the system that use the wireless sensor
networks to screen check on the quality of the fertilizers. The system will be used by the relevant
body in Tanzania called TFRA. The body helps in the regulation and ensuring that quality
fertilizers are supplied into the country. There work is to implement policies. (Li & Chen, 2012).
The System is going to be used to test the quality of fertilizers in supply chain
management. The system uses wireless sensor technologies and other related technologies. The
system will help in making the work of the quality personnel easier and the management will
become easier. (Kweon, n.d.).
The system will keep track of the fertilizers from the import period until the fertilizers are
received. (Alsanius, Jensen & Asp, 2004). The fertilizers that are fed into the system will
generate an automatic code and the code is printed on the bags such that as soon as the fertilizers
are delivered, they are scanned to check for its validity and the originality of those fertilizers.
The system will be integrated with the scanners so that they can be used in the retrieval process
of the supplied fertilizers. (Ahmad & Mahdi, 2019). The wireless systems will help to scan
nutrients available, PH levels and the moisture content of the fertilizers.
Wireless Sensor Network Overview
Wireless sensor Network is a project designed to help the Supply chain in Tanzania to
offer the best services in supplying the best quality fertilizers across the country. The application
uses the sensor detectors together with software application designed to read the codes provided
and test all the parameters that are required to be consisted by the high quality fertilizers within
the fertilizer content. The application comprises of various different components ranging from

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 9
the software application and the hardware requirements. The application is an internet based
application that request the use of internet to transmit data and produce results.
The devices used to host this application must be IoT devices and can be able to access
internet services. The data scanned using the scanners and sensor detectors are transmitted into
the system database management for storage and retrieval processes. Sensors uses scanners and
parameter checkers to check on the quality of fertilizers.
The application auto generate data and recorded them using a centralized system database
management system. TFRA will only generate the data which has already been stored by the
supply to confirm if they are actually the supplied products from the manufacturer. TFRA will
have a repository database management system where all the data will be stored so that they can
be retrieved in a very easy way. (Park, & Shim, 2003).
The application is set to communicate together with the scanners so that the sensors can
be able to detect all the parameters that are needed for quality fertilizers. The wireless sensor
network requires internet connection so as to be able to fully perform its tasks. Infrared signals
will be used to together with the sensors for fertilizer detection. The sensors are programmed to
ensure that the content which is required from the fertilizer is detected proactively by the system.

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 10
Literature Review
Development team who is concern about this project will carry out more research to
make sure that the best project ever is achieved so that it can help in ensuring that quality grade
fertilizers are distributed all over the country. The researchers have make references to many
different documentaries which are related to the topic that rely on sensor technologies. Articles
have been search online to ensure that the ideas are obtain to help in the implementation of this
project. The system is known to be programmed such that it can make use of the artificial
intelligence techniques to enhance the system to learn the previous behavior of fertilizers.
The current system have been studied and the necessary solutions have been undertaken
to ensure that the new system will be more advance like the already existing system which is
done manually by observing at the labels which have been marked on the bags of those
fertilizers. This does not provide the most accurate results as it can be forged by the
manufacturers. (Park, & Shim, 2003).
TFRA has been in the work ever since and for this case it has been experiencing hard
times as the old system have been too difficult to carry out. So many documents have been stored
to recommend the establishment of a new and improved system. Therefore, benchmarking have
been done so that the project team could be able to understand how the system works and what
the impacts are the system on the organization.

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 11
The Wireless Technologies used by TFRA in the Supply Chain
The use of Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and WSNs are two significant remote
advancements that have a wide measures of using artificial intelligence in the observation of
items for Supply chain. Regardless, Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) is a remote
innovation that takes into account robotized remote distinguishing proof of articles. An RFID
framework utilizes remote radio signal processing innovation to exceptionally distinguish the
labeled items. The RFID is applied broadly in store network following, retail stock
administration, stopping access control, library book following, long distance traders races,
carriers, electronic security keys, cost budgets, burglary counteraction, and social insurance
(Kiran and Shukla 2013). When RFID labels are connected to physical items they empower
those articles to distinguish themselves to RFID readers using radio recurrence correspondence
(Ahmed et al., 2015). Hence, in spite of the fact that RFID innovation has been utilized in
various items in the supply chains, it isn't appropriate for checking quality in the supply chain
network as it can just distinguish and recognize data installed in a tag.
On the other hand, Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) includes moderately economical
sensor hubs equipped for gathering, handling, putting away and moving data starting with one
hub then onto the next that can be sent in wide applications (Nikila et al, 2016).
To be sincere, WSNs sense the nature of the fertilizers and forward information to a
server located particular site, at that point a centralized server is used to store all the data that
generally is far away from the information source. Sensor vitality can't give long range
correspondence to arrive at the server because of the constrained vitality of sensor, henceforth
multi-bounce remote network is required to advance information to and from remote servers
(Kiran and Shukla 2013). Along these lines, WSNs can be utilized in the manure inventory

WIRELESS SENSOR NETWORK FERTILIZER MONITORING SYSTEM 12
network system to screen the fertilizer quality because of the way that the sensors can detect
parameters which characterize the state of manure or condition.
A system structure is an expansive review, plot, it fills in as a guide that can be changed
as required by including or evacuating things. In addition, it very well may be utilized to
integrate a lot of discrete items/parts, for example, a lot of capacities inside a framework into
something increasingly valuable (Meiappane et al., 2012). Thusly, the system for checking
nature of manure can be used as a manual to build up a valuable answer for observing the nature
of fertilizer in the fertilizer production system.
System Frameworks for monitoring of fertilizers by TFRA
A few researchers have endeavored to propose systems for observing compost in the
store network. Nonetheless, the greater part of these structures is intended for creating
frameworks which do exclude quality data observing segment. For example, there is a structure
created and actualized in India for online manure checking in the inventory network. In spite of
the fact that it tends to be gotten to and utilized by all partners to follow item and compost
accessibility data progressively to area level it can't report the manure quality data (Kumar J,
(2013).
In the manner that there is a system structure proposed by Shao (2014) that uses an item
check framework to confirm the fertilizer quality at the conveyance purpose of the inventory
supply chain. In this proposed system, a farmer scratches a mystery code which is fastened
together to the manure supply bags, at that point it is send to scratch mystery code for the
confirmation server through SMS. Thusly, this system organization has a few disadvantages, first
it checks the bundle not an item, second, it confirms in the wake of landing at the goal and