Smart Agriculture

Smart Farming/Smart Agriculture is not just for large farms and research centres, but is starting to impact small and medium-sized farms. The farming industry is receptive to technical innovation and is already embracing the IoT, using information from sensors, machinery and weather stations. It is the ability to capture, harness and analyse vast amounts of data to take informed decisions that is set to revolutionise the agricultural sector and is starting to deliver tangible benefits and measureable ROI (return on investment) for farms of all types and sizes.

Applications for Smart Agriculture include:

• Wine Quality Enhancing – Monitoring soil moisture and trunk diameter in vineyards to control the amount of sugar in grapes and grapevine health.
• Green Houses – Control micro-climate conditions to maximize the production of fruits and vegetables and its quality.
• Golf Courses – Selective irrigation in dry zones to reduce the water resources required in the green.
• Meteorological Station Network – Study of weather conditions in fields to forecast ice formation, rain, drought, snow or wind changes.
• Compost – Control of humidity and temperature levels in alfalfa, hay, straw, etc. to prevent fungus and other microbial contaminants
• Hydroponics – Control the exact conditions of plants grown in water to get the highest efficiency crops.
• Offspring Care – Control of growing conditions of the offspring in animal farms to ensure its survival and health.
• Animal Tracking – Location and identification of animals grazing in open pastures or location in big stables.
• Toxic Gas Levels – Study of ventilation and air quality in farms and detection of harmful gases from excrement.