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To meet the needs of a growing
population, the agricultural industry will need to use innovative
technologies to gain a much needed advantage. Agricultural
applications of the Internet of Things (IoT) will enable industry to
improve operational productivity, reduce expenses, reduce waste and
increase the quality of output.
IoT-based smart agriculture is a
system designed to monitor farmland using sensors (soil moisture,
humidity, light, temperature, etc.) and automate irrigation practices.
Farmers can observe field conditions from anywhere. For example, it
will notify the farmer when the soil moisture level is low; the farmer
can use the sensors to start irrigation. Smart farming based on IoT is
very efficient compared to traditional methods.
Precision farming is the most common
application of IoT in agriculture. It makes farming practices more
accurate and well-planned by including processes such as real-time
monitoring of soil and crop conditions, plant health monitoring, and
weather forecasting. Farmers can administer their fields based on the
detailed information obtained from this system. In addition, using
mobile devices, high-speed internet and durable and inexpensive
satellites (for imaging and positioning), the integrated IoT
artificial intelligence system can deliver alerts and data to day to
optimize crop growth processes and reduce yield losses. Due to pests,
harmful soil moisture level or weather damage. This cultivation method
ensures an accurate use of resources and increases the productivity of
the field while maintaining the sustainability of the process.
Irrigation systems equipped with IoT
not only conserve water, but also ensure that crops receive the right
amount of water for their optimal growth. This method of irrigation is
based on the moisture level of the soil rather than watering at
predetermined intervals.
Many organizations are exploiting
this technology around the world. In India, SatSure is a data
analytics company that integrates satellite, weather and IoT
analysis with the agricultural sector to help farmers' financial
security and crop insurance. The company has mobile applications to
provide information on providing statistics on crops and crop stress
in their area. It helps you decide what to plant, when to water or
add fertilizer, or prepare to harvest. Currently, the startup's
solutions are used by the state government of Andhra Pradesh. Many
banks and insurance companies in India are also taking advantage of
SatSure's solutions.
An IOT end-to-end solution for the
management of fresh food products, QZENSE uses IOT to develop
solutions for a rapid and precise assessment of fresh products by
capturing information on deterioration, the duration of conservation
and maturation, thus helping farmers.
However, the implementation of this
technology poses its own unique challenges in India, especially for
farmers who own small land holdings and are in rural areas without
decent internet connectivity and adequate infrastructure, without
which advanced surveillance systems are unnecessary. The high cost of
IoT equipment and its complexity can also discourage farmers from
modest backgrounds.
Therefore, strategic and systematic IoT application plans and supporting government programs are needed to adopt these smart agriculture technologies and approve their implementation. If successful, it will undoubtedly boost the economy of the agricultural sector. Therefore, advancing agriculture through digital transformation should be of paramount importance in India.