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.