IoT in Agriculture – Next Generation of Farming Technology
What’s the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of agriculture?
A farmer, a plough and maybe a bull right? If yes, you might be the last of the generations to picture that because IoT is changing the way we see agriculture forever.
Does agriculture and tech sound like a forbidden combo? Believe us, it’s not. If anything, it’s the best news this year, and let’s face it, it’s a rare commodity in 2020. IoT in agriculture is here to disrupt the way food is grown, and for the better.
Sure, it’s easy to romanticize the quaintness of the classic village scene of a farm, but we have no idea how difficult farmers have had it so far. While the world surged ahead with the power of technology, most farmers across the world were still stuck in the industrial revolution and were yet to reap the benefits of the internet age.
With IoT in agriculture finally taking off as an unforeseen consequence of the pandemic, let’s see what is in store for the agri-sector.
How is IoT used in the agriculture sector?
We are surrounded by smartphones, smart TVs and even smart refrigerators, but now say hello to smart farming. Smart farming is nothing but a tech-enabled and effective system of practicing agriculture, which is extremely sustainable. By using cutting-edge technologies and connected high-tech devices, smart farming effectively eliminates the need for physical labor that is usually prevalent in farming, and all this is achieved with IoT in agriculture.
From using solar-powered IoT sensors to build modern and inexpensive greenhouses and automatic and smart irrigation to cloud-based real-time data providing accurate information about your crops. IoT in agriculture can help you make sound decisions, from protecting your crops from pests and weather conditions to the final harvest.
Applications of IoT in agriculture
Take your smartphone for instance. It tells you when the battery is full or when it’s low. It informs you if you’re threatened by viruses or malware or if your storage limit has exceeded its capacity. Nothing new about that isn’t it?
Now imagine, you’re getting information like that about your farm. Whether the water levels are optimum, the amount of fertilizer/unit or if they’re under attack from pests. Think about the manpower you’d be saving, the crop loss you’d be avoiding from pests or diseases by taking timely action. That’s right, IoT in smart agriculture does even more. It even tells you the ideal temperature, checks the use of electricity and water and more. The benefits of IoT in agriculture are plenty and the world today can really stand to gain from it if democratized and implemented properly.
Let’s look at some of the ways IoT can be harnessed to boost efficiency on a farm.
Improved crop management:
With insightful crop data, farmers can make informed decisions on the type of crop to grow, choose a strain that is best suited for the atmospheric conditions, rain seasons, and type of soil to make a profitable harvest. Hybrid varieties or breeds that are most suited to the soil and climatic conditions can be recommended based on data analysis that are most resistant to disease and spoilage.
Better risk assessment:
Risk in the agriculture sector is inevitable, but the ability to predict and manage the risk at every stage of the lifecycle makes the farmer better equipped to take tactical decisions. Big Data and Cloud computing utilizes data from Google Earth, global weather conditions, and data fed in by the farmer to project a roadmap that helps farmers plan the journey right from crop selection to distribution. It also factors in the local market prices, natural calamities, pest infestation etc. that might increase or decrease the value of commodity and hardships that a farmer could face with respect to supply chain management. Data aids farmers in making decisions that could help them sway away from potential high-risk scenarios in the lifecycle of the crop.
Efficiencies in supply chain:
Supply chain management is not just about distributing the finished goods to the desired market anymore. With IoT, farmers are now empowered with insights that can help them predict the market conditions, consumer behavior towards the finished goods, factor-in inflation, and other variables that will help them plan the entire process even before sowing the seeds. This becomes a salient insight as it allows farmers to manage the conditions that enable them to maximize return on investment and mitigate any unnecessary loss
The transformative impact of IoT
Till the end of 2018, the connected agriculture market stood at USD 1.8 billion globally and the change hasn’t stopped yet. It is expected to grow to USD 4.3 billion by 2023 at a Compound Annual Growth Rate of 19.3%, and yes, IoT in agriculture is responsible for this stupendous growth.
We all know that India is one of the largest producers of food grains in the world and contributes heavily to the above statistics. Armed with a vast arable area and under direct and indirect farming, a large population in India depends on farming and agriculture.
However, it is unfortunate that while being huge contributors, we are also grossly punching below our weight considering our production potential. A potential which can be unlocked by activating IoT in agriculture in India.
Developing countries such as India can seriously benefit from application of IoT in agriculture as large swathes of agriculture land can be put to effective use.
How Kheti Buddy can help in the smart farming revolution?
For IoT in agriculture to firmly entrench itself and create sizable impact, we need organizations with a great vision and a passion for transforming the face of agriculture. And that’s where Khetibuddy comes in with its smart agri-tech software.
Today, Khetibuddy is at the epicentre of IoT in smart agriculture and combating real-time challenges of IoT in agriculture in India. Khetibuddy provides end-to-end solutions in empowering your farm to go smart.
From enterprise farm management solutions to farm management for the small farmer, Khetibuddy aims to educate, empower and enrich the lives of countless Indian farmers through its products.
Whether you’re a traditional farmer from the rural heartland or a new-age farmer. Kheti Buddy is the buddy you can count-on to scale–up productivity and make agriculture profitable and sustainable.
Here are the benefits that farmers can reap by going smart using Kheti Buddy’s app in combination with IoT sensors:
Soil Data Integration
Farmers can monitor crucial information about the moisture levels, composition and fertility of the soil. The mobile farming app syncs in with on-site sensors and rainfall gauges to deliver live data on soil health.
Crop Scheduling
The crop schedule feature allows farmers to plan crop farming based on the farm’s real-time data on climate and soil health conditions and track the growth of produce anytime, anywhere!
Farm Advisory
With our mobile farming application, farmers are only a message away from gaining more knowledge about all agriculture-related queries. Farmers can contact agri-experts online who can use IoT sensor data to guide to come up with a profitable cropping strategy
Think of the Kheti Buddy farm mobile app as a digital report card for your farm when used in combination with IoT sensors. The app is built on the foundation of a decade of rigorous on-field experience and research. The interface is uniquely designed to cater to all farming needs. From sowing your crops to harvesting the produce, the app will guide farmers every step of the way. A right farming habit contributes to 40% more success in crop cultivation, and the Kheti Buddy app ensures right farming habits.
If you’re a farmer owner or business looking to get into smart farming, talk to an expert from team KhetiBuddy learn more.
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