By now, the Internet of Things (IoT) has added a pace to various industries with its outstanding application. From health to education, from manufacturing to transport IoT is everywhere. Not only that even in the Agriculture industry, but Internet of Things (IoT) has also been easing things from the past few years. Research shows, in 2018, the global agricultural industry approached USD 1.9 trillion (approximately), which is increasing day by day. If we calculate the number based on Compound Annual Growth Rate By 2024, it is expected to reach USD 4.4 billion, which is almost of 20%.

Over the past few years, the farming industry have seen many benefits of using smart wearables, connected mobile devices, automated loading and unloading machines, driverless cars, automated pumps, quality testing devices etc. which has brought huge impact on the overall industry not only by triggering productivity but also by consuming much lesser time than traditional farming.

According to the latest statistics study, by 2050, the global population will approach nearly 10 billion, which means the land has to feed this massive population along with other living creatures. It’s not that easy as it may sound; there are various challenges that exist with us like climate change, natural disasters, extreme weather condition etc. which we need to overcome every moment to survive. Among those challenges, we have to meet the need for more food.

Costing is one of the most prominent challenges that human being is facing at an increasing rate which needs to be reduced immediately; besides quality food is another predominant concern. Since the past few years, the industrial IoT has increased agricultural production rate. Moreover, the cost has also been reduced which is why in the next few years, the industry is expecting that smart solutions driven by IoT will trigger the production.

Another report reveals IoT device installation has seen 20% compound annual growth alone in the agricultural industry. From the late 20th century, various mechanical innovations like tractor, harvesters etc. consume a lot of place due to its effectiveness and affordability.

In spite of many positivity, still, there are certain challenges; among them, the major one is communication and network infrastructure. Various investors, business owners and IoT solution providers have faced various challenges in the remote and underdeveloped regions. They even lack the basic communication infrastructure like a 4G internet connection. Satellite connectivity is the only option now but that too requires a well pre-set-up.

How IoT work for Agriculture? What are its applications?

Sensors were the first IoT device that used to install in order to get live data directly from the agriculture field. Through traditional technique, it was difficult to get real-time data to the concerned devices. After logging into the system the sensor used to collect data and later, the end-user was able to read it. Along with the onset of advanced sensors, the solution came because now they can be connected with the cloud using the satellite network. It enables us to communicate the real-time data to the end-user. One of the most prominent features of this sensor technique is, now the farmers and business owners can read real-time data like water tank labels, weather conditions, good and bad insecticides etc. In every step of the irrigation process, these IoT embedded sensors bring real help to the whole industry. There is much lesser space for unpredictability.

With these sensors, now farmers know exactly when a batch of seed is ready to germinate and what resources are required to make it an edible vegetable. The term ‘Green Revolution’ has reached another height with the onset of IoT embedded devices. Now farmers can easily get optimized inputs on maturing time of various crops.

One of the most prominent applications of IoT in agriculture is sustainable food growing. Through the implementation of connected devices and latest technologies crops can be produced most predictably. With smart farming business owners can cut down much physical work and save a considerable amount of time. The main purpose of integrating IoT in agriculture is to speed up and ease the process of productivity.

24/7 monitoring the production field also reduces any chances of failure in crop production. Besides, you can also keep a strict eye on various important factors like soil condition, humidity, temperature fluctuation, etc.

Let’s discuss the usefulness of IoT in details:

1. Climate Change

   We all know how climate plays a major role in farming. A 360-degree knowledge of climate conditions is essential for successful crop production. Climate has the potential to deteriorate a full batch of the crop. IoT embedded sensors are placed inside and outside of the crop field to obtain real- time data on various weather conditions depending on which farmers can make proper decisions on which crop can grow under certain weather conditions.

   These sensors can send alerts to the end-users upon getting any notifications regarding bad weather conditions or on rainfall. With these sensors, there will be no need for physical presence during troublesome weather conditions, you can also monitor working conditions of all the connected devices, for example, nutrition level, water requirement etc.

2. Accurate Farming

   With these connected sensors, farming can be easier than ever before. You don’t have to be physically present in the crop field for micro monitoring. These smart devices can do that for you by analyzing important data gathered by sensors. Some of the most famous precision farming technique includes livestock management, vehicle tracking, irrigation management, soil quality testing and other things for better efficiency and effectiveness apart from detecting real-time working conditions through the connected devices.

3. Efficient Greenhouse

   For smart greenhouse conditions, these IoT devices are unmatchable. You can select a perfect greenhouse condition with these devices that are perfect for the concerned species. Human intervention will be eliminated completely with those devices. Among them, solar-powered IoT sensors are perfect for inexpensively building a modern greenhouse. Over simple SMS alert, one can get notification about the various weather condition.

4. Smart Livestock Farming

   Various IoT embedded devices will help in large scale livestock farming. These devices will increase the efficiency and productivity of the whole batch with its micro monitoring technique. Connected sensors can be installed within the livestock as wearable devices, which enable farmers to monitor heart rate, blood pressure, body temperature, respiratory rate etc.

   Farmers will get notification upon accruing any illness within the livestock, which can save the entire herd from dying. These sensors can also be used to track the animal’s present location for optimized grazing patterns. IoT solutions can also be used to monitor the reproductive cycle of livestock and safer outcomes.

5. Drones

   Agricultural drones are one of the most revolutionized agricultural devices that can ensure an uninterrupted crop production over a target timeframe. Mainly two types of drones are used in agriculture: Ground drone and Aerial drone. Those are basically used for monitoring crop health, crop monitoring, medicine spraying, water sprinkling, infestation checking, ripping condition etc. the agriculture industry has a seen a total makeover with the onset of drone technology. There are embedded thermal and multispectral sensors for identifying areas that require treatment. Throughout the growing phrase, these sensors monitor the crop’s health and nutritional values (vegetation index).

6. Data

   Through the IoT embedded devices, huge data are collected over the crop field and save for future research. These will help in better crop planning and lower the production risks. Before harvesting any new crop in virgin land, these data will provide an absolute solution to the business owner.

7. Waste Reduction

   These IoT embedded sensors can help in reducing field waste through proper planning and management. Various tractors with updated sensors can now collect the field waste while collecting the crop. It will not only save physical labor but also save considerable time, so in turn, it also saves production cost and waste management costs.

8. Cost management

   From land preparation to the collection and crop distribution, everything can be managed through the IoT embedded sensors. You will get increased control over the production that could be difficult to achieve otherwise.

Present-day farming technology is comprised of various IoT devices, some of them are:

• Sensors- are required for managing various parameters of soil, water, temperature, light, medicines, etc.

• Software- - customized software for performing various monitoring activities.

• Connectivity- through a high speed internet connection.

• Location – GPS and Satellite.

• Data analytics- for collecting information and performing actions on soil quality, humidity, optimize productivity, weather conditions, etc.

• Robotics- for automated tractors, drones, processing facilities, etc.

With smart agriculture gadgets powered by IoT, sensors farming can be easier, faster, safer and more sustainable. Installed across the target field, they can collect various data from the recent environment and send it to the cloud for safety and future use. We can get various data on climate conditions before going for crop production. Reports suggest, by the end of 2025, more IoT devices will be introduced to various stages of crop production for increased yield.

Author Name: Tanaya Sadhukhan

Author Bio: Tanaya is a Senior Content Developer at IoT Avenue who helped to build the content of the site along with several other sites with her compassionate SEO driven content. She is also a HubSpot, certified Content Marketer. She brings her five years of experience to her current role, where she is dedicated to developing the content of different websites.