The Internet of Things (IoT) is a network of objects which are connected wirelessly using sensors to transmit information to each other, or a broader network, without human mediation. The IoT in agriculture involves connecting objects like humans, animals, plants, and infrastructure (e.g., equipment, buildings, etc.). The technological advancements in sensors and aiding data analysis and connectivity technologies have accelerated the potential of the IoT for agriculture. The IoT devices collect and record data regarding soil moisture and nutrient levels, nutritional deficiency in soil and customize fertilizer blends accordingly, regulate water distribution in irrigation systems and determine the ideal time to plant and harvest. The data collected through networked objects helps the farmers to make informed decisions and situational responses, cut production costs, reduce inputs and water usage, observe crop growth and improve yield. The IoT devices also benefit the greenhouses by helping in controlling the temperature, humidity, light exposure, and irrigation. Automation of greenhouses can also be achieved with the help of IoT devices thereby reducing the dependence on human monitoring.
The IoT can also be helpful in the livestock industry to monitor animal health, early detection of diseases to avoid pandemics and the location of animals. IoT can also be used to enhance product quality and quantity of livestock products such as milk, meat, and wool by analyzing the diet content, progesterone content and also protein levels. IoT can also strengthen the supply chain of agri commodities by ensuring the traceability of products. The IoT sensors also help to avoid spoilage of perishable items and identify contaminated items during transport.
The various IoT systems currently available for the farmers are-
- CropX Technologies hardware and software systems that measure moisture, temperature, and electrical conductivity in the soil. This system helps farmers in irrigation. It also caters to various agriculture specific weather data services, high-resolution aerial images of fields every 2-3 days, digital elevation topography maps and soil maps.
- TempuTech provides state of the art solutions for all your grain management needs. The Bin temperature monitoring systems, Bin moisture systems, Bin aeration control systems, and Grain management system software helps the farmers to track hazards such as fire and dust buildup which can be explosive in agriculture storage. The wireless sensors devices help farmers understand the data from their silos to establish baseline performance norms and set alert and alarm conditions related to temperature, vibration, humidity, and other conditions.
- CLAAS one of the world’s leading manufacturers of agricultural equipment provides precision technologies for agriculture equipment. The company has partnered with a program enabling farmers to manage their entire agricultural holding on a computer or mobile device. Farmers operate CLAAS equipment on autopilot, receive data regarding crop flow and minimize grain losses and automatically optimize equipment performance. The system collects data and utilize it for field mapping, fertilization planning, nutrient balance, and calendar and planning programs. The various precision technologies provided by CLASS are ISARIA Crop Sensor, ISARIA fertilizer system, FLEET VIEW.
- PrecisionHawk autonomous UAV gathers high-quality data through a series of sensors by surveying, mapping, and imaging of agricultural land. The sensors are attached to the drones that perform in-flight observations and monitor and collect visual, thermal, and multispectral imagery. The drone can gather data on 500 to 1,000 acres in less than a day. Using the technology farmers can count and size plants, check plant health, spot early signs of plant diseases, measure storm damage and assess livestock health and weight gain.
- JMB North America caters IoT solution that helps ranchers monitor pregnant cows especially before giving birth. A battery-powered sensor is expelled from the heifer when its water breaks, which sends a notification to the rancher or herd manager. The sensor allows farmers to be more focused on the time spent with pregnant heifers.