With the ever-growing population and the demand for food, it’s no surprise that agriculture has been one of the first industries to adopt IoT technology.
By connecting various devices and sensors, farmers are able to collect data about their crops and animals, which can then be used to improve yields and make the farming process more efficient.
In this article, we’ll take a look at how IoT is being used in agriculture and some of the benefits it offers.
What Is IoT-Based Smart Agriculture
The internet of things is not just limited to high-tech industries like manufacturing and railroads. In fact, it’s also been revolutionizing the agricultural sector as well.
IoT-based smart agriculture includes technology that can connect farmers with their crops in order to improve efficiency and precision across the entire farming process, in order to make farmers more productive. A smart farm includes different types of sensors and connected machines that measure the size, growth rate and other aspects of crops both on a small and large scale.
The IoT in agricultural market was valued at $ 16,330 million in 2017 and is expected to increase at a CAGR of 14.7% from 2018 to 2025, reaching $48,714 million by 2025.
Digital tracking technology helps manufacturers to understand where they are in a production line and can make adjustments accordingly. This could decrease the time it takes to produce a vehicle.
In addition, pre-programmable control settings within an IoT system allows engineers to alter production based on any problems detected during testing or even random events like a nearby fire alarm. The net result is that production can be optimized.
Railroad Trains: Regional railroad trains are now able to communicate with each other on the go and avoid collisions, reducing delays caused by track damage and other issues. This is made possible through sensors and software that send information about speed, deceleration and other metrics back to centralized systems so railroads can operate more efficiently.
How’s IoT Shaping Agriculture
As we’ve already seen, IoT technology is already helping farmers around the world to achieve higher yields and better crop quality. However, this is just the beginning.
With smart manufacturing on the rise, it’s possible that equipment such as robotic drones may soon be used to plant seeds and harvest crops. This will help make farming more efficient while allowing farmers to spend more time on other tasks such as crop management and harvesting.
Similarly, sensors that detect how much moisture there is in plants can also be used to create ‘smart irrigation systems’ by automatically irrigating fields with water at times when it’s most needed for optimal crop growth.
In addition, using IoT to track the temperature and humidity of soil areas can help farmers know when it’s time to plant different crops in the same areas. The United States had the greatest market share of 67.8% in 2017 and is predicted to expand at a 15.30% CAGR from 2018 to 2025.
IoT technology is helping farmers around the world improve farm productivity by giving them real-time data on factors such as soil conditions, moisture, humidity and temperature. It’s also helping them make more informed decisions about how to maintain their fields and how to optimize irrigation systems so their crops are always growing at optimal levels.
How IoT Is Helping Farmers
As the Internet of Things continues to grow, it’s becoming more useful in other industries. In addition, IoT is also helping farmers to improve the quality of their crops while increasing their yields and reducing crop loss.
Due to a growth in livestock application, China is predicted to be the fastest expanding market, with a CAGR of 18.5% from 2018 to 2025. Use of sensors allows researchers to track soil conditions such as moisture and temperature in different areas of a farm.
This data can then be used to optimize farming techniques so unnecessary or inefficient steps are eliminated. IoT technology also helps track what types of crops are growing best in certain areas, which helps farmers know where they should plant new crops or expand current ones.
Precision Agriculture
Precision agriculture is a farming management practice that uses smart farming sensors to monitor crops and optimize the use of finite natural resources. By using precision farming techniques, farmers can increase yields and decrease inputs costs while protecting the environment.
Precision farming was the greatest contributor to the worldwide IoT in agriculture market in 2017 and is expected to expand at a CAGR of 15.6% in 2018.
With the world’s population growing, so is the amount of shrinking agricultural lands. This is putting pressure on the agriculture industry to increase yields. Smart agriculture sensors are one way to do this.
These sensors can monitor things like soil moisture and temperature, which can help farmers optimize their irrigation and planting schedules. IoT solutions can also help farmers track their animals and crops, and even predict weather patterns.
By using IoT in agriculture, farmers can increase yields and decrease wastage. With the increasing popularity of IoT technology, many agricultural companies are now using connected devices for livestock monitoring.
By installing weather stations on their property, they are able to track the conditions of the land and the animals. This helps them to make sure that their animals are healthy and to make decisions about when to harvest their crops.
Benefits Of Smart Farming
IoT for agriculture is becoming increasingly popular as a way to improve crop health and yield. Smart farming techniques, enabled by IoT devices, allow farmers to monitor their crops more closely and make adjustments accordingly.
This results in healthier crops and higher yields, which is good news for both farmers and consumers.
1. Reduces Water, Fertilizer And Pesticide Use
It’s well-known that overusing certain chemicals in farming can have negative consequences on the environment as well as human health. By using sensors to collect data about how much water, fertilizer and pesticides are used, farmers can optimize their usage of these chemicals and reduce their impact on the environment.
For example, using sensors to detect when individual plants receive nutrients allows for only a targeted amount of fertilizer to be used in the areas that need it. Similarly, sensors measuring the amount of water and chemical use can be used to optimize irrigation systems and reduce waste.
2. Increases Yield And Crop Quality
One of the biggest issues for farmers is determining how to maximize their crops’ yields. With the use of IoT technology, metrics such as humidity, moisture, temperature and soil quality can be detected and used to improve farming practices.
For example, data from moisture sensors can be used to optimize irrigation systems so that they’re applied only when they’re needed. Similarly, data from soil quality sensors can help determine the best times to plant crops.
In addition to increasing crop quality and yields, IoT in agriculture also helps ensure food safety standards are met by collecting data on factors such as pesticide use and temperature.
3. Makes Farming More Efficient And Accurate
Using sensors to collect data about soil, temperature, humidity and other factors can help farmers know exactly when to plant crops and irrigate them. In addition, IoT also gives farmers the ability to see how much land is being used and which areas aren’t being used effectively so they can be re-allocated accordingly.
4. Helps Farmers Take Preventative Actions When Problems Arise
If there are ever any issues with crops, it’s important for farmers to be able to detect them quickly so they can be fixed before they become serious problems. For example, if crops begin to wilt or the plants begin to rot, sensors can help detect this quickly so that farmers can take preventative action.
5. Increases Accuracy Of Data Collected And Improves Monitoring Capabilities
The more data that’s captured, the better the results that can be achieved. For example, weather data provides farmers with much-needed information on seasonal variations and temperatures so they can make optimal use of their resources.
Similarly, knowing how much water has been used in an area allows farmers to know when it’s time to irrigate their crops so they don’t run out of water.
6. Provides Specific Feedback On The Status Of Crops
Keeping tabs on the health and development of crops is a crucial part of farming. That’s why IoT technology can detect when a crop is withering, rotting or suffering from a disease and alert farmers using an alert button. This allows farmers to take preventative action before diseases get out of control and cause problems for their crops.
7. Collects Data About How Crops React To Weather Changes
Weather changes can have a dramatic impact on crop growth, so it’s important for farmers to be able to track how the weather affects their yields on a daily basis. This data can then be used to optimize irrigation and fertilizing schedules so growers are prepared for changing weather conditions.
8. Generates Revenue For Growers, Distributors And Manufacturers
IoT technology in agriculture allows farmers to know exactly how much of a crop is being sold to distributors so they can receive accurate pricing and also sell an optimized amount of crops.
In addition, tracking the locations of new buyers allows them to save money on distribution costs. The use of smart packaging also allows farmers, distributors and manufacturers to track quality control more effectively while reducing costs.
9. Helps Farmers Deal With Crop Variations
Since crops are dependent on the weather and soil conditions, they can vary greatly from one area to another. To make sure each crop is sold at the right price, farmers need to know which crops have different pricing and which areas of a farm earn the most revenue.
Using IoT technology for agriculture helps them collect this information and make smart decisions about how to sell their crops.
10. Reduces Waste By Automating Waste Disposal
One of the biggest impacts of IoT in agriculture is how it automates waste disposal. For example, sensors can detect when plants are being affected by pests or disease, which allows for them to be eliminated quickly before they spread to other plants.
Risks Of IoT In Agriculture
Global agricultural production is facing significant challenges due to labor costs and the need for more efficient farming methods. The industry is turning to smart farming technologies and data-driven IoT devices to help increase yields and reduce costs.
These solutions are helping farmers to be more efficient and productive, while also providing valuable data that can be used to improve operations.
1. Connecting Everything Requires Massive Amounts Of Data
The more sensors that are connected, the higher the risk of collecting too much data. IoT can connect a lot of different devices and systems together through the Internet, which creates a need for more infrastructure to route connected devices.
This can include private networks, individual companies’ physical and virtual networks and more. For example, Wifi access points need to be deployed in order to enable connectivity between connected homes and business in the same area.
These alone require a lot of resources, but not only that — Ethernet cables are also needed for IoT connections because of the amount of signals being sent over them.
2. Connecting Devices Increases The Risk Of A Cyber Attack
As IoT technology connects more devices together, it also makes them more vulnerable to attacks from hackers. In fact, some experts consider networked systems such as IoT to be one of the biggest security threats in recent years.
Since everything is connected, a cyber attack on one device could cause problems in others — particularly when they’re all using the same network. This is why it’s important to ensure that each IoT device uses its own unique network infrastructure or comes with a layered defense system to protect other devices against hacking attempts.
As a rule of thumb, this would include physical or software controls like multifactor authentication, time-based one-time passwords and SSL encryption.
3. Threat Of Data Losses Due To IoT
The Internet of Things produces massive amounts of data on a daily basis, which means it’s at high risk for being breached. In fact, according to The New York Times, security experts predict that hackers will breach more than half a million devices this year.
At this rate, the number of devices at risk for being hacked will continue to rise every year. Since an IoT device is only as good as its weakest point, a hack could turn nearly any connected device into a house of cards waiting to fall over — and it probably will happen sooner than you think.
4. Not All Devices Are Secure Enough To Be Used In IoT
Some IoT devices are designed with security in mind, while others are not. Just because a device can be connected doesn’t mean it’s safe for use in the Internet of Things.
For example, computer systems such as laptops and smartphones have been connected for years, but still subject to viruses and other attacks through malicious software (aka malware).
If a device is not built with secure encryption features from the get-go, then it can open up vulnerabilities that make it vulnerable to attacks from hackers. According to the system, the software category would develop at the fastest CAGR of 19.9% from 2018 to 2025.
5. All Connected Devices Are Vulnerable To The Loss Of Data
A connected device sends out all kinds of data, from personal information to mobile phone location coordinates. While it’s unlikely that someone will hack into your device and steal your address, there are other ways that hackers can gain access to people’s personal data.
For instance, if a hacker gets their hands on a database that contains information on when certain products were shipped or even customers’ Social Security numbers, it could be used for identity theft purposes and other forms of fraud.
It’s become increasingly common for hackers to use social engineering and phishing techniques to obtain account passwords from users who have been lured in by email scams.
6. IoT Devices Haven’t Been Tested Enough
As with any new digital technology, IoT devices are still in their infancy and are not yet 100% reliable. Because these devices have never been tested for performance and security before being deployed, many could become compromised in the coming years.
The internet of things is in its early stages of development, but that doesn’t mean that it’s risk-free. There are millions of different types of interconnected devices out there, and each one may pose a different set of vulnerabilities.
In fact, less than 10% of connected devices have had sufficient cybersecurity testing done on them. That’s why it’s important to include cybersecurity tests when building your next IoT project and to conduct regular security audits on your existing connected systems.
7. The Risk Of Cyber Attacks On IoT Globally
The internet of things is becoming increasingly prevalent in many different fields — for example, the following examples show how IoT is being used to monitor and improve manufacturing processes:
Automobile manufacturing: Digital tracking technology helps manufacturers to understand where they are in a production line and can make adjustments accordingly. This could decrease the time it takes to produce a vehicle.
In addition, pre-programmable control settings within an IoT system allows engineers to alter production based on any problems detected during testing or even random events like a nearby fire alarm. The net result is that production can be optimized.
Final Note
Asia-Pacific is expected to develop at a CAGR of 16.4% from 2018 to 2025, mainly to population growth and increased food consumption.
The Internet of Things has the potential to revolutionize farming for the better, and will help growers earn more revenue through more efficient farming practices.
In addition, IoT may also reduce the need for human workers in the industry by making fields autonomous and self-sustainable.
Last Updated on October 10, 2023 by Priyanshi Sharma
