It can now be clearly stated that the Internet of Things (IoT) has reached many different players and gained more recognition. Agriculture in the Internet of Things has received great attention as a part of the ecosystem.
How is the Internet of Things transforming agriculture, the primary sector of the economy?
With the exponential growth of the global population (the UN Food and Agriculture Organization estimates that the world should produce 70% more food by 2050), the loss of limited farmland and limited natural resources, the need to improve agricultural production becomes even more important.
The problem is exacerbated by a lack of natural resources such as fresh water and arable land, as well as declining yields for basic crops. The changing nature of agricultural labor is another concern hindering the agricultural sector. In addition, agricultural labor has decreased in most countries. Adoption of internet-connected solutions in farming techniques has been encouraged as a result of the declining agricultural workforce to reduce the demand for physical labor.
Internet of Things (IoT) solutions aim to help farmers close the supply-demand gap by providing high efficiency, profitability and environmental protection. Precision farming is a method that uses IoT technology to maximize agricultural efficiency and ensure the most efficient use of resources while reducing operating costs. Special equipment, wireless connectivity, software and computer technology services are part of the IoT in agriculture.
Major Areas of Influence of the Internet of Things in the Agriculture Sector
The most important of the Internet of Things, which have the potential to change agriculture in many ways:
- Devices such as sensors, control systems, robots, autonomous vehicles, automated hardware, variable speed technology, motion detectors, button cameras are all important components in this farm management approach. This information can be used to monitor the overall health of the company as well as employee performance and equipment efficiency. It also provides the ability to predict production output and advanced product distribution planning.
- With predictive analytics, product forecasting is important. Because this system helps the farmer to make future decisions about crop production, storage, marketing tactics and risk management. Artificial networks are used to predict crop emergence rates using data from farm sensors. Parameters such as soil, temperature, pressure, precipitation and humidity are included in these data. Farmers can use the dashboard or a dedicated mobile app to get accurate soil data.
- Agricultural drones are used in agriculture to improve a variety of agricultural processes, including crop health assessment, irrigation, crop monitoring, pesticide spraying, planting, soil and field analysis.
- Geofencing and livestock tracking. Farmers can use wireless IoT applications to gather information about the whereabouts of their animals and their health. While this practice reduces the workforce, it also helps prevent disease transmission.
- Smart Greenhouses. A smart greenhouse built with IoT intelligently monitors and manages the climate, eliminating the need for manual intervention.
Many in the industry are starting to realize that the IoT can help increase agricultural productivity at lower costs, and there is still a lot of room in this market for new businesses.