Saft Groupe SA
Saft Groupe SA
08/09/2024 | Press release | Archived content
Reframing IoT: A closer look at Agriculture
The number of smart sensors being deployed, to measure all kinds of data, is growing fast. But what does the future hold for the IoT Industrial market?
Last year, we considered the use of the overarching term 'IoT' and sought to make sense of it as a catchall term for numerous different subsections, each with their own characteristics.
At Saft, we don't see IoT as a homogenous idea precisely because we understand the value of developing products that support the diverse requirements of different sectors. Broadly speaking, we filter IoT applications into one of four areas: tracking, sensing, automation and industrial.
The last of those, industrial, is a broad and varied sector in itself. So, rather than try to cover industrial applications as a whole, here we delve in how IoT devices are being deployed in agricultural settings.
An early adopter
Agriculture was one of the first sectors to embrace IoT applications on a mass scale. The earliest innovations were deployed with optimization in mind - looking to improve yields, make jobs easier, or save time and resources.
This trend likely started in the 1990s, when tractors and similar vehicles started using GPS to chart cropping maps. But this was fraught with connectivity problems (particularly in areas with weak satellite coverage), whereby tractors could completely stop when signal was blocked by a tree or building.
But it was really the early 2010s that saw the proliferation of IoT devices - fuelled by a growing need to modernize agriculture, huge strides in connectivity options, and a diverse and specialized range of applications that have become easier to deploy. Thanks to various 'smart agriculture' technologies, farmers have changed the processes of raising livestock and growing crops, with improved efficiency.
The rapid and continuing increase in the world's population will grow the demand for food. Improving yields through innovative and sustainable agricultural solutions is therefore vital, but farmers are battling other challenges of scarce resources and land limitations, and crises related to changing climates; more extreme weather conditions, droughts, floods and more.
These challenges make food production more complicated and costly. IoT applications can help minimize these problems.
A range of use cases
There are a wide range of IoT devices being deployed in agriculture now. Below, we cover some of the most common uses.
Monitoring conditions
These are perhaps the most popular devices in 'smart farming' - whereby sensors are positioned across fields to collect various data and send it to a connected central hub for analysis. These instruments can give the farmer a better idea of climate conditions in a particular field and help guide them on the most suitable crop, or how best to predict what will be needed year-to-year to optimize yield in that particular location. It is essential for precision farming, a wider movement in agriculture that centres on efficiency and making accurate data-driven decisions.
Crop management
Similar to the condition monitoring technologies above, farmers can place data-collecting devices in a field of crops to monitor crop growth and identify any anomalies that may suggest harmful diseases or infestations. Moisture, soil conditions, pest threats, and more can be measured to decrease the need for time-consuming manual checks of crops.
Crop storage
IoT devices are also used to help monitor temperature and humidity levels in storage units, such as grain silos. This can help harvested crops to last longer in storage and reduces the risk of wasted yields.
Greenhouse automation
Greenhouses now account for more and more farmland because they can provide controlled environments for farmers. In 2021, it was estimated that greenhouses covered 3% of China's farmland and produced 35% of its vegetables.
The use of IoT sensors now allows farmers to get accurate real-time information on the conditions in a greenhouse, including lighting, temperature, soil condition, and humidity. This data can inform software programmes that automatically adjust the conditions to preset parameters, meaning a more predictable annual yield.
Livestock management
Livestock tracking and monitoring can collect data on the health, well-being, and physical location of animals. For example, IoT-enabled tags or collars can identify sick animals so that farmers can separate them from others to avoid contamination.
Logistics and the supply chain
The benefits of IoT for agriculture go beyond the farm itself. Its deployment in logistic management throughout the food supply chain is immensely helpful, with data-driven fleet management optimizing deliveries and sensors ensuring that refrigerated stock is maintained correctly in transit.
Even more growth on the horizon
The sheer global demand for food will mean that more IoT devices are deployed in agriculture. The regulatory requirements placed on farmers to meet sustainability targets will further encourage the use of technologies that improve efficiency. Removing waste (from spoiled yields or wasted resources like water) is a key part of this, and something that can be aided by data-driven decision-making.
Perhaps the biggest shift will be in how agriculture adopts artificial intelligence (AI), robotics and drone technology at scale. These technologies already present interesting options - be it using robots to complete labor-intensive tasks or using UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicles) to plant crops and provide real-time cattle tracking - but the extent of how these will transform agriculture is yet to be fully understood.
What we do know is that these devices will require batteries that are designed with agricultural applications in mind. They will likely need to be reliable in a range of outdoor environments, for example. So, if you're developing an IoT application for use in agriculture, contact one of our expert team to find out more about the range of battery options available to you.