How to reach the goal of agricultural growth in 2050? It can be helped by using the data. With the Data that the farmers get from new innovative IoT applications can be addressed the issues of fields, water, air and even the livestock. The IoT helps farmers better informed of their land, crops and animals so they know how to increase quality, quantity, sustainability and cost effectiveness of agricultural production.
Today’s large and local farms can use monitoring systems, such as leverage IoT to remotely soil monitors, atmospheric monitors, aerial drones that can detect soil moisture, crop growth and livestock feed levels, remotely manage and control their smart connected harvesters and irrigation equipment, and utilize artificial intelligence based analytics to quickly analyze operational data combined with 3rd party information, such as weather services, to provide new insights and help farmers to make better decisions.Soil monitors can detect variables like ground temperature and moisture levels. Atmospheric monitors can detect weather conditions in pinpointed locations. Flyover drones can indicate, if seeds have sprouted and animal monitors can track not just location but also provide indicators of potential illness.
When looking this at an agricultural industry wide level, the goals and benefits of all this is substantial. Smart farming is actively trying to make our farms less detrimental to the environment. This also helps in
– increased crop yields
– reduced water consumption
– streamlining farming processes
– improve the bottom line
Take an example of the Cow Tracking Project and the technology behind it:
The team behind the Cow Tracking Project attach a GPS device to each cow, and placed sensors around their shed to monitor their movements and sleeping habits. The information was then sent to the farmer’s computer. Disruptions in a cow’s regular pattern (e.g. sleeping more or moving around less than usual) could signal illness Daily updates can help the farmer quickly catch these changes.
Strategic IoT Solutions for Smart Agriculture
Solution providers looking to build and sell new smart agriculture IoT applications, agriculture equipment providers looking to add additional value with IoT to their customers, and farmers themselves are recognizing that they can capitalize on the opportunity IoT presents to capture real economic value. In the end, it’s about making the right strategic choices, selecting the right partners, and quickly delivering to market the right capabilities to create and sustain your leadership position.
Powering an IoT Ecosystem
Brian Walsh, Chief Executive Officer of VitalHerd, created a cloud platform ecosystem led by PTC ThingWorx that allows all companies to work together in managing health and nutrition in precision agriculture for livestock.