IoT has helped revolutionize various industries worldwide, making them more productive and efficient and communication between all parties throughout the supply chain more effective. And it is also currently being used to provide many of the same benefits in agriculture for more accountable farm-to-table production.
IoT in agriculture
IoT smart agriculture incorporates a smart farming system that allows food producers to keep track of their growing fields using sensors and bots that monitor various environmental factors, such as temperatures, soil moisture, light, and crop conditions.
As a result, farmers can assess and manage their grain, vegetable, fruit, and other plant conditions from anywhere without having to be there.
For instance, if the soil becomes too dry, the crop grower can activate the automated irrigation system remotely to water the soil. However, they also provide other vital information, such as when the soil is low on nutrients, so the farmer can also apply manual solutions as needed.
Impact of IoT in agriculture industries
The agriculture industry faces many issues that smart farming IoT helps address for greater impact than traditional farming solutions.
In the field, it enables farmers to reduce waste by ensuring maximum application of water, electricity, and other precious resources, while also reducing greenhouse gasses and fuel costs associated with farm vehicles. This, in turn, not only helps produce healthier ground conditions for more wholesome crops and higher yields but also helps protect the livestock that feed off the land.
It also helps solve the issue of the shortage of manual labor in the agriculture industry with IoT solutions like robotics, self-driving vehicles, and autonomous seeders that enable farmers to maintain and enhance productivity on the grounds.
For farm-to-table food supply chains, internet-connected solutions, like IoT agriculture sensors and RFID tags, can be incorporated to provide valuable insight concerning the environment and condition of food items from the warehouse to the shipping trucks and as they travel to their endpoint to ensure food safety and quality once they arrive. It also enables recalled food items to be traced and quickly pinpointed to help reduce illnesses, fatalities, and loss of profits.
Likewise, RFID tags can also be used to monitor livestock conditions at all times in real-time from the ranch to their final shipping destination, so they arrive healthy.
RFID tags can also be used with agricultural machinery to monitor and collect data on their performance, which will enable farmers to calibrate and repair them before they break down to prevent downtime.
Hence, the overall impact of the Internet of Things in agriculture industries, is it helps increase efficiency, accountability, and traceability of goods and equipment throughout the supply chain for lower operations costs and increased profitability.
IoT applications in agriculture
IoT utilizes specialized equipment, wireless internet connectivity, software, and IT services, which is used for many applications in agriculture, including:
Crop assessment, planting, and spraying
Air-based drones are currently used in agriculture to complete several tasks, such as to provide aerial images of crops so that farmers can monitor their condition from above. Farmers can also use the drones’ air surveys to help plan their crop planting.
Drones are also being used to plant and spray crops. Therefore, they save growers time from having to complete each of these tasks manually.
Weeding
Agrobots are another IoT solution being used in agriculture to help eliminate the need for manual weeding. Instead, they use a digital image of weeds stored in their database to determine weeds from crops and then pull or spray them with robotic arms to get rid of them. As a result, it also helps cut down on insecticide usage and, thus, its cost.
Automated Pest Control
Motion detectors are also being used in agriculture to provide automated pest control. Once the detectors sense movement, they automatically set off traps to help prevent damage to crops. Hence, they allow for around-the-clock pest control.
Harvesting
Robotics are also being used in agriculture for harvesting vegetables and fruits, which they are able to do using robotic arms and image processing. They also work 24/7. Hence, they help when there is a shortage of manual labor.
Predictive Analysis
Sensors are not only being used in agriculture to monitor soil and crop health, but they also provide information regarding humidity, rainfall, and other weather conditions, which farmers also use to predict plans regarding the production risks and rate of crops and their storage during certain times or conditions.
Therefore, it allows them to pick the right crops at the right time for increased productivity.
Future of IoT in the Agriculture Industry
Future farming technology is expected to increase in popularity as more and more agriculture industries are discovering IoT as a solution for increasing production and lowering operational costs.
Companies can also choose between just one or more Smart farming systems in agriculture, such as sensors, drones, or bots, to make it easier to get started. Meanwhile, an Internet of Things development services who is highly knowledgeable in computer-based intelligence and robotics can also help you select, understand, set up, and operate your system for the most effective results.
Conclusion
In the end, the Internet of Things in agriculture helps increase transparency in the supply chain from end to end, which helps your brand stand apart from the competition and build trust with customers. It also helps businesses maintain strict control of the steps in the food supply chain to improve the farm-to-table process for improved quality. Farmers also benefit by being able to better manage their crop and livestock health, as well as control their production rates even when they are short on workers for peace of mind. So, no matter where you are in the farm-to-table supply chain, there is an IoT solution for you, which an experienced IoT service can help you choose.
