In agriculture, as in other industries, the Internet of Things promises formerly unattainable efficiency, resource and expense savings, automation and data-driven operations.
However, the combination of IoT and agriculture is actually very beneficial. These are not profit enhancements; They are a remedy for the entire industry grappling with many serious issues.
exceptional efficiency
Agriculture is now in competition. With deteriorating soils, dwindling land supplies and increasing weather variability, farmers must produce more.
Thanks to IoT-enabled agriculture, farmers can monitor their produce and conditions in real time. As a result, they have quick insight, can recognize problems before they happen, and can make well-informed decisions about how to prevent them.
IoT solutions in agriculture also include automation, such as demand-based irrigation, fertilization and robotic harvesting.
development
70% of the world’s population, reaching 9 billion people, will live in cities. IoT-based greenhouses have enabled smaller food supply chains and hydroponic systems, which should be able to feed fresh fruits and vegetables to these individuals.
We should be able to do this in supermarkets, on the walls and roofs of buildings, in shipping crates, and of course, in the comfort of everyone’s home, thanks to smart closed-cycle farming systems.
resources are scarce
A lot of agriculture IoT solutions are focused on maximizing the use of resources- water, electricity, land. However, highly accurate farming with IoT relies on data obtained from various sensors in the field, which allows farmers to accurately deliver sufficient nutrients within a plant.
healthy process
IoT-enabled smart farming is a proven approach to cut down on pesticide and fertilizer use. Precision farming not only saves water and energy and makes farming more eco-friendly, but it also dramatically reduces pesticide and fertilizer use.
Compared to typical agricultural processes, this strategy provides a cleaner and more organic end result.
Product quality is improved
Are IoT Farm Application Ecosystems Real? Data-driven agriculture helps to develop more and better goods. Farmers can better understand the complex interrelationships between conditions and the quality of their crops using soil and crop sensors, aerial drone monitoring and field mapping.
They can replicate optimal conditions and increase the nutritional value of items using Detailsed systems.
advanced adaptability
The increased adaptability of operations is one of the benefits of employing IoT in agriculture. Thanks to real-time monitoring and forecasting systems, farmers can rapidly respond to any significant changes in weather, humidity, air quality, or the health of each crop or soil in the field.
The new capabilities help agricultural experts cope with significant weather changes, allowing them to save crops.
Use of smart machines in agriculture
There are many examples of how IoT can be used in agriculture, from flexible data analysis and management systems to the robotic pollinators of the future.
We have highlighted several IoT applications in agriculture in this post, including vehicles, ag spaces and operations, along with some exciting initiatives in each sector.
AG Vehicles
In general, the use of agricultural vehicles is at the heart of profitable agriculture. In addition, the use of smart vehicles improves efficiency and promotes automation in traditional farming.
Deere & Co.’s connected combines and tractors are prime examples. These cars garnered a lot of attention from CES 2019 attendees earlier this year not only because of their huge size and attractive green color, but also because of the technology behind the hood.
To allow self-driving and precision farming, Deere’s vehicles are equipped with sensors, computer vision, highly accurate (less than an inch) GPS and machine learning. Although these machines still require an operator, due to advances in technology, the operator is no longer required to be a highly certified ag driver.
automobile in concept
The Case IH concept vehicle, on the other hand, is fully autonomous and can be powered by artificial intelligence or operated remotely from the office. Case IH, one of the world’s leading agtech companies, has been working on the vehicle since 2016 and will soon release the first prototype.
drone technology
In the industry, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) or simply drones have grown in popularity. In most situations, we use drones to monitor agriculture as an IoT-based monitoring system, as well as tools for farm mapping, on-demand watering, and pesticide treatment.
The Xaircraft P30 is an autonomous plant protection drone that has won the Red Dot award. It employs complex algorithms to provide exceptional flight capability and precise chemical spraying, leading to up to 30% pesticide content and 90% water savings.