IoT in Agriculture: Why IoT is key to the future of farming?

If agriculture is to continue to feed the growing population, it needs to overcome the challenges of modern farming - smart production, biodiversity management, gas emission control, smart packaging and logistics and waste management. Agricultural companies are looking into IoT for helping them advance into smart production.

The importance of agriculture in the future

The UN forecasts a 69% increase in global agricultural production from 2010 to 2050 to satisfy food demand, yet this estimate does not reflect the deteriorated conditions post-Covid-19. Consequently, achieving the target of eradicating global hunger by 2030 seems increasingly unattainable.

In response to the evolving needs of modern agriculture, farmers are increasingly relying on IoT to enhance production capabilities and access valuable data. While Agriculture IoT is poised to revolutionise farming, the adoption of this technology remains lacking in fields like smart farming, construction, and urban planning.

Smart agriculture is gradually gaining traction among farmers. Agricultural drones and sensors are now increasingly prevalent in farming practices.

The challenges of modern farming

Many current problems in agriculture are not new and businesses are ever hard-pressed to balance between profit and sustainability. For example erosion and pollution have been around as long as agriculture, but with the growth of production, their effects are more widely spread. As soil becomes unproductive or erodes away, more land is then ploughed. Sustainable farming is often the biggest challenge for modern farmers. 

Farming has traditionally been a labour-intensive endeavour, leaving farmers and agricultural businesses with limited time to focus on implementing technology. Addressing issues promptly with crops or livestock is often challenging, as problems are not always immediately apparent. Consequently, any time diverted from production oversight can result in costly errors with potentially severe consequences.

The common IoT applications in agriculture

Farmers increasingly use IoT for precision farming, monitoring and automation. For example, sensors placed in fields give detailed maps of topography and resources, as well as condition parameters such as acidity and temperature of the soil. Sensors can also access climate forecasts to predict weather patterns. This mitigates the risk of natural disasters or bad care affecting crops. 

Drones have also become commonplace in smart agriculture. With a wide operational range and mobility, farming drones can survey and send real-time data back to the farmer, as well as spray fields. Smart tractors, much like any smart 'vehicle', are also becoming popular with their self-driving capabilities. 

Agricultural producers can also use their smartphones to remotely monitor their equipment, crops, and livestock. Modern farms can be equipped with automated feeders, temperature regulators, watering systems or automated lighting. All connected and controlled through cellular connectivity, IoT for farming can bring tons of data at the click of a button. 

Smart farming can minimize costs, improve yield and reduce waste with a simple IoT implementation.

Harnessing IoT Sensors for Real-Time Agricultural Insights

Today, it is easy for farmers to install sensors and get them connected. Once connected these sensors can be in constant communication with one another. As a result, farmers can see what’s happening across the farming operation in real-time.

Environmental sensors provide data on humidity, air temperature, irrigation, soil composition and moisture. Soil moisture sensors help prevent expensive mistakes like over or under-watering crops. Other types of sensors control LED lighting for greenhouses, monitoring tanks and silos. As a result of saving money on wasted energy and keeps crops healthier.

If planned well, sensors can assist in every stage of the farming process. From the time seeds are planted to harvest time. And to when the produce arrives by truck to the shops.

The future of sensors in Agriculture IoT applications will continue to grow. IoT will play a major role in obtaining a competitive advantage for farmers too. Check out our quick guide to IoT connectivity to understand what are the key factors to consider when choosing your IoT connectivity provider for your smart agriculture and farming.

Learn more about how our partners at FieldWise use Velos IoT's solution to deliver smart agriculture. Browse our Agriculture Solutions page to learn more about what Velos IoT Connectivity solutions can offer.