Internet of Things for Smart Agriculture: A Survey

Introduction To Internet Of Things And Smart Agriculture

The world faces a growing challenge: feeding an ever-expanding global population while mitigating the environmental impact of agriculture. In this context, the IoT has emerged as a transformative force in the agricultural sector, giving rise to the concept of Smart Agriculture (Akkaş M. A. et al., 2017).

IoT in Agriculture: The Internet of Things refers to the interconnectedness of everyday objects and devices through the internet. In agriculture, IoT involves the deployment of sensors, actuators, and other smart devices throughout the farming ecosystem to collect, transmit, and analyze data. This data-driven approach provides farmers unprecedented information about their operations, enabling them to make informed decisions in real time (refer table 1).

Figure 1.

Key components of IoT in agriculture

Now some benefits of smart agriculture are:

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  Precision Farming: IoT allows farmers to tailor their practices to specific conditions, optimizing resource usage and crop yields.

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  Resource Efficiency: Smart agriculture reduces water wastage, minimizes chemical use, and lowers energy consumption, making farming more sustainable.

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  Data-Driven Decisions: Real-time data and analytics empower farmers to make informed decisions, leading to better outcomes and increased profitability.

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  Environmental Sustainability: IoT-driven practices can reduce the ecological footprint of farming, benefiting the environment.

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  Improved Food Security: By enhancing productivity and reducing waste, IoT contributes to global food security.

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  Few challenges and issues in smart agriculture will be: While the potential of IoT in agriculture is huge, it also presents challenges. Data security and privacy, interoperability, regulatory compliance, and addressing the digital divide are critical issues that need to be addressed to ensure equitable access to these technologies and protect sensitive agricultural data.

In summary, IoT-driven Smart Agriculture is poised to revolutionize the way we produce food. By harnessing data and technology, farmers can meet the dual challenges of feeding a growing world population and protecting our planet's resources. This introduction sets the stage for exploring the myriad applications and advancements in this exciting field.