Smart agriculture is the science of combining technology with farming. Innovations in agriculture are not new. Since the inventions of the wheel, and the plough, the sector has been using new tools and methods of working for hundreds of years.
As we enter the age of high-tech farms, new technologies are disrupting the way that farmers manage, monitor, and view all aspects of agriculture. It has been difficult to grow enough food for a large population. This is why it is crucial to invest in new technologies that will ease the burden on the sector, according to Shawn Chandler, former chair of the IEEE Internet of Things Smart Cities Working Group.
Data collection and connection growth
Traditional large-area outdoor farming has seen a dramatic shift in the use of key technologies like communications networks and sensor networks to monitor crop conditions. Remote measurement tools, such as agricultural sensors, can provide farmers with real-time information about soil moisture, temperature, and pH.
Similar sensors are used to measure the insolation, rainfall, wind speed and air temperature. Drones are being used to monitor large areas of farmland and provide real-time reports when connected to communication networks. All of these tools allow farmers to do more work on less land.
Farmers are increasingly turning to automated equipment as space and budget are becoming more limited. They can use technology to plant, water, manage, and harvest crops with maximum efficiency. This helps improve land, resource, and time. This is especially important for watering and planting. Automated planting is a way to optimize the land use and sow more plants in a given area.
Traditional surface watering methods are notorious for inefficiencies. These include irrigation and evaporation as well as overwatering and the type of sprinkler used. Newer irrigation techniques can save as much as half the water needed to maintain crop yields, according to research. Indoor farming allows farmers to precisely control LED lighting and photoperiod (the time that crops are exposed to sunlight) to lower energy costs and increase yields.
Finally, data analytics can be beneficial for all agricultural areas, as it is a key tool in modern farmers’ arsenal. Combining existing data with machine learning and intelligent system can spot patterns and send notifications. This can help farmers make better decisions and be more informed.
New technologies and new challenges
These new technologies may seem like the obvious choice for modern farmers, but they come with their own challenges. A communications network is necessary to combine data from multiple sensors, drones or other devices.
This network can be purchased or provisioned by third parties. The newest private networks have the highest data throughput and can handle communications with thousands of devices. However, they may be expensive and require additional support.
Data storage is another issue that needs to be considered and planned for. There are many sensors that collect different amounts and types of data. Sensors come in many different forms with different capabilities.
Complex sensors that have many measurement and feature capabilities will be more expensive. They will also last longer before they need to be replaced. Complex sensors communicate more data packets which can lead to better network throughput, fewer sensors and timed communication planning.
Software is often used to manage demand and supply pressures in smart business models. Software management can be used to monitor the entire farming process, from farm to table. This reduces overall costs, improves yield and quality, and improves distribution logistics.
However, technical skills and training are required to use such software. Data analysts must also know how to water a crop or what the minimum soil moisture level is. Smart agriculture must integrate technology and farming knowledge to be successful.
The smart farm is a combination of sensors, networks, and data. This technology will improve the entire industry, from sowing to harvest. Technology will also change the farm. It will allow remote monitoring of crops and fields, as well as data analytics to help them distribute their presence over large areas of land and direct their attention to those that are most needed. These technologies, combined with management software, are helping farmers meet higher demands.
