Top 3 Sensor Technology Groups Shaping Effective Precision Agriculture
As adoption of Internet of Things (IoT) advances, sensor technology is finding increasing application across diverse industries like agriculture and manufacturing. In modern agriculture, precision farming techniques rely on IoT and sensors to enhance crop yields and gather precise data.
By utilising various sensor technology types, farmers can access real-time insights into crop growth, enabling the formulation of informed planting strategies, reducing labour, optimising crop selection, and ultimately enhancing both the quality and quantity of yields.
Soil Information: A Foundation of Effective Data Acquisition
In the realm of precision agriculture, effective data acquisition stands as a foundation. While satellite imagery and drones play significant roles, the importance of monitoring and sensor technology cannot be overstated in this initial phase of implementation. This sensor technology provides crucial, ground-level data essential for informed decision-making, ensuring that farming practices are finely tuned to maximise productivity and sustainability.
Collecting and keeping soil information up-to-date is vital during the data acquisition stage. Numerous other metrics rely on this data. For example, metrics such as soil fertility, moisture content, pH levels, and nutrient concentrations. Agricultural software, including satellites and sensor technology, along with soil maps, offer the most precise means of gathering and interpreting data to accurately depict a soil composition of the field.
Agriculture sensors such as air temperature and humidity, soil moisture, soil pH, light intensity, and carbon dioxide are often used to collect data in all aspects of crop growth such as nursery, growth, and harvest.
The agricultural sensor technology market is projected to witness substantial growth by 2027, particularly in applications related to crop monitoring. It is anticipated that the value of sensor technology catering to crop monitoring will more than double from 2021 to 2027, reaching approximately three billion U.S. dollars.
Throughout the upcoming sections, three distinct sensor technology groups will be described. However, it’s important to note that there is a diversity of other options and varieties available as well.
Top 3 Sensor Technology Groups
Soil Moisture Sensor Technology: Enhanced Capabilities
During the harvesting period, soil sensors are crucial to monitor the possibility of successful cultivation of the crops. In the age of climate change and its unpredictability, making farming decisions based on soil moisture and fitness has become even more difficult. That is where this type of sensor technology comes in.
When combined with variable rate applications or GPS technology, soil sensor technology is utilised to create field maps that categorise soil characteristics or qualities of soil such as texture, structure, pH, organic matter content, nutrient levels…
As technology progresses and precision agriculture evolves, modern soil moisture sensor technology offers more than just moisture measurements. Often integrated with advanced digital platforms, these sensors provide access to a range of significant field, crop and weather data. By leveraging insights from this data, users can make informed decisions, leading to more efficient resource utilisation and improved crop yields.
Soil moisture sensors employ electrical currents to identify water presence in the soil. Subsequently, they transmit this data to a computer for digital display. Through real-time data analysis, these sensors prompt adjustments in application rates accordingly. For instance, if certain parts of the field are consistently drier, the system can increase irrigation in those areas to ensure optimal crop growth while conserving water in areas where it’s not as needed.
Different sensor technology types are being combined for soil monitoring, including electromagnetic, optical, mechanical, acoustic, and electrochemical sensors. Furthermore, ground-based monitoring systems are anticipated to gain popularity in the foreseeable future as an increasing number of farmers worldwide adopt diverse soil monitoring sensors. These systems are favoured for their user-friendly nature, requiring minimal technical expertise.
Temperature Sensors: Why They Are Integral
In smart agriculture, temperature sensors are vital in two main areas:
- – Ambient condition monitoring – Essential for monitoring the environmental conditions in the agricultural setting, such as air temperature, humidity, and light intensity. For instance, they can detect temperature fluctuations within greenhouses, fields, or storage areas. This data is valuable for understanding how environmental factors impact plant growth, livestock health, and storage conditions.
- – Mechanical asset monitoring – Vital for monitoring the temperature of machinery, equipment, and infrastructure used in agriculture, detecting anomalies or overheating that could signal equipment malfunction. This proactive monitoring prevents breakdowns, ensures optimal performance, and enhances operational efficiency.
This sensor technology is integral not only for monitoring environmental conditions but also for overseeing various assets in the realm of smart agriculture. Precise data on air temperature, gathered from sensors or weather stations, is invaluable for accurately applying plant protection products in agriculture. This information can be utilised to implement proactive measures aimed at reducing pest damage, as certain pests show increased activity levels at specific temperatures.
Furthermore, relative humidity is also an important factor in providing insights into the precise application of plant protection products. Spraying at the right temperature and humidity levels enhances the effectiveness of these products. Moreover, relative humidity serves as an indicator of leaf wetness, which signifies the presence of water on a crop’s surface. Monitoring leaf wetness using sensors enables growers and advisors to take timely preventive actions against crop diseases, ultimately safeguarding crop health and yield.
GPS Technology: Optimising Efficiency
Apart from their roles in the automotive and cellular communication sectors, these sensors provide substantial advantages for smart agriculture. The combination of Global Positioning System (GPS) and geographic information systems (GIS) enables the integration of real-time data collection with accurate positional data, facilitating effective management and analysis of large geospatial datasets.
The precision of GPS technology empowers farmers to generate detailed farm maps, accurately measuring field areas, road positions, and distances between key locations. For instance, In tasks such as planting crops, auto-guided systems can optimise the movement of machinery, vehicles, or workers to minimise overlaps, reduce wasted time and resources, and maximise productivity.
Beyond aiding in farm planning and field mapping, GPS is instrumental in soil sampling, tractor guidance, crop scouting, variable rate applications, and yield mapping. Furthermore, GPS allows farmers to work during low visibility conditions such as rain, dust, fog, and darkness.
Ensuring the location and well-being of their livestock is a top priority for farmers. With modern GPS technology, tracking animals has become effortless, allowing farmers to monitor their livestock seamlessly. This technology not only improves farm management but also ensures the well-being of the animals.
The STELAR Initiative - Optimising Agrifood Data Usage
Ensuring data organisation and accessibility poses a significant challenge in agriculture. There is a great need for smart farming data platforms that offer a digital solution by collecting data from various sources and presenting it through a single app.
The STELAR project, a three-year initiative under Horizon Europe, focuses on developing a Knowledge Lake Management System (KLMS). This system streamlines the connection and comprehension of diverse data types, ensuring precision and scalability. Given the extensive data volumes involved in acquisition, the system’s ability to manage large datasets offers significant advantages.
STELAR’s objective is to streamline the utilisation of agrifood data through the development of customised data value chains suited to today’s requirements. By tackling issues such as data discovery, integration, and interoperability throughout the food supply chain, this initiative aims to simplify operations. This approach ensures that users receive timely updates on crop conditions, empowering them to make informed decisions that enhance productivity.
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