How the Internet of Things can modernize agriculture

Agriculture is another major area for IoT disruption, with the versatility of sensors and the availability of IoT bringing huge potential for the future of agriculture.

IoT provides solutions to agricultural efficiency problems. Sensors are cheaper than ever and the equipment is better than ever – farmers can monitor their entire operation with the click of a button.

Most of these smart farms have wireless sensor networks installed to increase efficiency and effectiveness. This helps assess field variables such as soil state, atmospheric conditions, and crop or livestock health. In addition, they can be used to evaluate and control variables such as temperature, humidity, vibration or shock during product transportation. This is just the beginning, smart farming applications are also showing promise in specialized software, robotics, data analytics, enhanced location services and connectivity.

The increase in IoT solutions in agriculture is expected to bring about two major changes. First, precision agriculture, which will create a more controllable and accurate industry. Armed with data, farmers will be able to provide precise treatments for their crops or livestock, maximizing the use of all resources. Second, with automation, data will be able to better monitor and create ideal conditions. Simply put, additional data on every aspect of a farming operation will allow farmers to precisely monitor conditions and automate as needed.

Weather conditions, soil quality, crop growth or livestock health – data can track the health of farming operations as well as employee performance and equipment efficiency. Amid a booming population and a changing climate, there is a need to reduce production risks, which can be achieved by improving business efficiency and production control.

Data collection and aggregation helps to understand the situation in the field, and various IoT solutions hold the promise of modernizing agriculture. As climate conditions continue to change, consistent irrigation, fertilization or pest control will be indispensable – necessary for the food supply of tomorrow and beyond.