The growing adoption of IoT (Internet of Things) has enabled multiple connected devices to penetrate every aspect of our life. Technology has brought countless advantages to every industry, from health and fitness to automation and logistics.
Thus, isn’t this the time to witness the power of IoT in the agriculture field as well?
IoT is trenchant, piercing the agriculture sector tremendously and affecting every facet of it. Simply put, relying on horses and shovels seems outdated, considering how VR, AI, and IoT are converting those sci-fi fantasies into reality.
Farming has become industrialized as well as tech-driven, all thanks to the latest technological advancements. There are multiple IoT in smart agriculture gadgets available in the market that have made it easy for farmers to manage their livestock, grow crops effectively, and more, thereby making their day-to-day processes predictable and efficient.
From optimizing resources, increasing farm productivity, and reducing overall wastage, smart agriculture backed by IoT is making its way to every farmer worldwide.
This article will help you understand the various applications of IoT in the agriculture industry and how they are projecting traditional farming into a new revolutionary era. Read on if you are also considering diving into building a solution for IoT in the agriculture industry and investing your resources into smart farming.
What is IoT, and how is it implemented in agriculture?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is one of the significant contributors to the increasing agricultural productivity, thereby making way for farmers to meet the rising demand for food. Incorporating IoT-based technologies, tools, solutions, and equipment can help the agricultural industry by maximizing yield, improving operational efficiency, and reducing energy wastage.
This cutting-edge technology has the potential to revolutionize the agriculture industry and nurture significant productivity improvements. With the proper implementation, IoT in the agriculture industry has the potential to bring about positive changes in how we produce food across the globe.
The Internet of Things in agriculture helps in:
- Data collection
- Data analysis
- Data storage
- Building a smart farming platform
The applications of IoT in the agriculture market are expected to revolutionize the speed of agricultural affairs. Livestock monitoring, fish farming management, precision farming, and intelligent greenhouses are all IoT in agriculture examples that can be used to address nearly every agricultural issue.
By connecting multiple farms with the help of a single platform and making them smart through the sharing, storing, and analyzing of data, the quality and quantity of agricultural production can be optimized.
Since the IoT technology in the agriculture market is under construction and developing rapidly, there are ample opportunities for businesses looking to join and leverage this growing industry. Creating IoT-based products that redefine the role of IoT in agriculture within the few upcoming years can let you emerge as an early adopter while paving the way for the success of your entrepreneurial journey.
[Also Read: How Much Does It Cost to Develop an IoT App]
Let us now look at various IoT applications in agriculture that can help you understand the strong impact of this cutting-edge technology in this changing digital economy.
Applications of IoT in Agriculture
From disease control measures to cattle and field monitoring systems, IoT is transforming the agriculture industry by restoring power to the farmers’ hands. Major sectors where this tech has found a solid footing are indoor farming, livestock management, and aquaculture, among others. But how is IoT overcoming challenges and breaking new ground in agriculture? Let’s find out.
Robotics
Robots have come a long way since the third industrial revolution, abetted by the development of the internet. Agricultural robots, aka agribots, could offer a circumventing solution to the problem of labor shortages. Uncrewed Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) can be deployed to detect and exterminate weeds from the field. They could save farmers time, human resources, and spray volumes by acting precisely as per the demand. This saving translates into healthy soil with fewer pesticides to absorb and more positive bacteria to preserve.
Automated Crop Harvesting
One of the other sought-after IoT applications in agriculture is automated crop harvesting. Untimely harvest of crops often turns out to be the plight of farmers. Factors influencing such events could be the weather, untrained personnel, or poor farm management. Harvesting robots could be trained with the information we possess to pick the right fruit at the right time. Various uses of IoT in agriculture allow farmers to grow high-value crops at scale than hedge their bets with varieties supported by minimum support prices.
Also Read: Food automation – How AI and Robotics are transforming the future of the industry
On-field Navigation
Machine learning, GPS, and the IoT used in agriculture apps are making manned machine navigation a thing of the past. With a smartphone, farmers can remotely control their tractors, rotavators, and agricultural machinery. As the code memorizes rough patches, it learns to alter gears and smooth navigation to protect the crops and the equipment.
Remote Sensing
Another way the agriculture and food industry is scaling its appetite for the Internet of Things is by installing on-field sensors. By design, sensors are engineered to detect discrepancies in weather conditions, crop nutrition, soil pH, and more. Such a smartly coded crop monitoring system offers advanced intel to farmers and warns them to prepare for emergencies.
Drones
Drones are yet another example of IoT in the agriculture industry. The self-guiding technology uses GPS, image processing, infrared cameras, and ground control systems. New-generation farmers are leveraging Drones-as-a-Service (DaaS) to predict crop yields, diagnose pest infestation, precision fertigation, and field supervision. Aerobotics is one of the few food tech startups that have made their mark in the field. It combines drone scouting and multi-sensor analysis to predict crop health for longevity.
Benefits of IoT in Agriculture: How IoT is Transforming the Future of Agriculture
The impact of IoT in agriculture has been tremendous, considering its multiple applications that we have seen above. Technological advancements in agriculture are here to stay and will play a vital role in reforming the future of the industry. Here are a few benefits of IoT in the agriculture industry that can also help you gain perspective into how the future of IoT in agriculture is bright.
Accurate data analysis
IoT-based solutions for agriculture have made way for numerous practical applications like crop data analysis, weather forecasting, pest detection, etc. These solutions can leverage machine learning combined with cloud technology and artificial intelligence to analyze the data and statistics while offering accurate results. These applications have enabled farmers to make informed decisions, thereby increasing efficiency and productivity and promoting smart farming practices.
Increase in food production
Farmers have embraced IoT for agriculture to their advantage, creating intelligent tools capable of measuring and predicting good agricultural practices. These IoT-based tools allow farmers to automate their farming practices, increasing production efficiency. Furthermore, IoT has enabled farmers to better understand various crops and the environmental factors that influence their agricultural productivity.
Increased farm efficiency
The use of IoT for agriculture has been increasingly adopted, resulting in a significant increase in farm productivity and efficiency. This is possible with the use of multiple IoT devices, such as soil moisture sensors, irrigation devices, and more, capable of collecting and processing data for analyzing crop health, temperature condition, soil quality, and pest detection. This data is then used to make timely decisions, increasing crop yields.
Smart farming
The emergence of the smart farming system in various parts of the globe is attributed to IoT. Smart farming is one of the major applications of IoT in agriculture automation that allows users to manage and control the various aspects of the farm remotely and automatically. It starts with the collection and storage of data with the help of an IoT device.
The data collected then provides insights into the multiple farm conditions, such as soil and crop conditions, which can be further monitored daily to determine the optimal time for fertilizer praying, watering the crops, pest removal, and pesticide application. By utilizing IoT devices in agriculture, farmers can maximize their yields and enhance the efficiency of their operations.
Real-time crop planning and forecasting
One of the most sought-after advantages of IoT in agriculture is real-time crop planning and forecasting. The Internet of Things (IoT) has redefined how farmers forecast crop conditions and quality. Farmers can save time and money by utilizing IoT in farming, as they won’t need to guess the best time to harvest their crops. They can make informed decisions based on real-time data and would no longer need to wait an entire season before analyzing the forecast data.
Agricultural automation
IoT for agriculture has the potential to revolutionize the industry, allowing for a much more streamlined and efficient process. Sending elements like IoT-based flow sensors, light sensors, pressure sensors, and more allows for the automation and simplification of multiple farm processes. They can help in data collection, watering, crop monitoring, harvesting, etc., all of which can be made much more efficient and effective through the use of these sensing elements.
Drought monitoring
Many farmers face a significant challenge in the form of drought conditions. Fortunately, using Internet of Things (IoT) solutions can assist them in detecting water shortages before they become a severe problem. Additionally, some systems can even provide information on the optimal times and locations to irrigate crops, thus enabling farmers to maximize their crop watering efforts.
Livestock tracking
The agricultural sector has witnessed revolutionized growth through the utilization of wireless IoT-based applications, such as livestock GPS tools. These tools can allow farmers to collect factual data and information about their cattle’s well-being, health, and whereabouts, which further helps prevent the spread of diseases and reduce labor expenditures. With this IoT for agriculture applications, farmers can now enjoy 24/7 real-time, remote visibility of their livestock, providing greater control and insight into their operations.
How can Appinventiv Help You Achieve Agriculture Mobility?
The Internet of Things will continue to expand its application territory into the foreseeable future for varied industries, the foremost of which shall remain agriculture. With a well-established line of achievements, Appinventiv offers top-notch agriculture software development services tailored to your custom business requirements.
Appinventiv has been pivotal in aiding multiple startups and enterprises in accomplishing their digital transformation journey. Our years of expertise in the Internet of Things (IoT) technology can offer comprehensive services to our clients that span from software development to quality assurance, and integration.
Our team of experts has helped many organizations streamline their operations and maximize their business potential. We strive to continue providing our clients with innovative solutions to help them stay ahead of the competition.
For instance, we created “MAAN”, an agriculture education-based mobile app for NMA nations. The app is a web platform that allows everyone looking to improve the nourishment condition of the NMA region to come together to discuss and share experiences, articles, notes and more related to nutrition and agriculture.
The app has ultimately created a community of people that are looking to work for a single cause and improve the nutritional conditions of the remote mountain areas of the NMA region.
Get in touch with our expert developers if you wish to dive into the IoT in the agriculture market and gain a unique perspective of the ever-changing ecosystem with smart farming.
FAQs
Q. What are the examples of IoT in agriculture?
A. Examples of IoT applications for the agriculture field are numerous and diverse. One such example are crop monitoring devices that help farmers in monitoring soil moisture and nutrient levels. In addition to this, they also help in detecting pests and diseases associated with the soil.
- Greenhouse automation devices are used to control the temperature, humidity, and irrigation, thereby making way for more efficient use of resources.
- Precision farming gadgets are capable of using sensors and other technologies to collect data and offer the farmers a real-time insight into their crops.
- Agricultural drones are used for the surveillance and monitoring of crops, while robots are used for tasks like harvesting and weeding. All of these above mentioned examples can ultimately help farmers increase efficiency, reduce the overall costs, and improve crop yields.
Q. What are the benefits of IoT in agriculture?
A. The various advantages of IoT in agriculture include the following:
- Seamless data utilization
- Improved crop quality
- Remote monitoring
- Drone monitoring
- Livestock tracking
- Risk reduction
- Business automation
Q. How is IoT transforming the future of agriculture?
A. The Internet of Things (IoT) is capable of revolutionizing the agricultural industry, enabling farmers to reduce waste and enhance productivity. By leveraging IoT technology, farmers can now precisely monitor and adjust the quantity of fertilizer used and the amount of water used for irrigating a field.
Furthermore, IoT-enabled systems can ensure that farm produce is transported optimally and transparently while ensuring the upstream and downstream of the farm value chain are sustainable and efficient. In this way, IoT technology has revolutionized the agricultural industry, enabling growers and farmers to reduce waste and enhance productivity.