The key to smarter farms? IoT farm application ecosystems

The key to smarter farms? IoT farm application ecosystems

Farming is getting smarter every day. From large commercial operations to local organic growers, technology is at the forefront of reducing cost, improving yield and guaranteeing optimal delivery to market. The key ingredient in smart agriculture is data.

Modern farmers have more tools for gathering intelligence than ever before. Soil chemistry data informs fertilization decisions. Moisture sensors and precision irrigation controllers optimize irrigation, while reducing water consumption. Drones precisely apply pesticides. Autonomous harvesters traverse fields under the watchful eye of location and capacity sensors. The list goes on. Almost every agricultural process can be instrumented using sensors generating data that can optimize processes and inform decision making.

The Internet of Things is at the center of this revolution.

IoT hardware has rapidly evolved to offer low-cost sensors for almost every conceivable need. These sensors are being built into IoT devices with battery life that can be measured in years and access to affordable low-power mobile networking.

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