Smart Farming, the digital transformation of the agricultural world with connected objects

Smart farming is based on IoT solutions. Thanks to this technology, machines, livestock or production, everything can be connected.

Initially, the connected equipment takes care of capturing a very large number of different data: temperature, CO2, humidity, pressure, vibration, etc., the possibilities remain numerous. In a second step, this wide range of data is coupled with third party information, exogenous to the machine for example: temperature, rain, drought, traffic, etc. Finally, once linked, all these data are analyzed and enriched.

In this scheme, drones, robots and sensors appear as the best sources of information in capturing farm data for connected agriculture. As a farmer, these data sources give a new impetus in the development of the business.

Processing data quickly makes it much easier to make decisions thanks to a better understanding of the issues. This digitalization of the sector helps to better understand a situation and to automate tasks that are thankless or difficult to perform because they are extremely precise, fast or repetitive.

Taking advantage of the Internet of Things and the agricultural transition allows us to better understand each situation and to capitalize on the behavior of crops or animals, thanks to robots for example. The state of maturity of a plot of land, the appearance of disease on plants despite the use of fertilizers, the state of health of a herd, the yield … All this information saves time for the farmer and simplifies decision-making based on objective and accurate data.

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1. To control and monitor water consumption. Because one of the main problems of smart agriculture is related to water resources. A rare commodity, 70% of its use on the planet is used for irrigation, i.e. for breeding and crops. Being able to measure, monitor and control the proper management of its resources while being notified in case of anomaly and increasing its productivity places the digitization of the agricultural sector as the path to follow.

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2. To apply treatments in a localized way to its production, or to ensure a (geo)localized treatment on plots allowing a targeted fight against diseases for a better yield.

3. To determine the ideal time to carry out harvesting periods, for example, according to exogenous factors such as

4. To monitor the farms remotely and in real time in order to be able to intervene at the right moments and to be alerted to the slightest problem. This makes for healthier and more productive spaces for less strenuous work.

Eventually, the integration of decision-making systems with artificial intelligence algorithms will allow faster and more predictive decision-making in certain cases. As a result, farmers will have more time available to better manage the existing situation, or even to devote to other tasks.

It is advisable to have a transversal approach, an expert accompaniment, a number of connected objects, and adequate connectivity. It is important not to focus only on the technology. Because if it is true that data are real gold mines creating value, we must not neglect the human value that cannot be replaced by machines (especially with animals).

Smart agriculture is involved in disease prevention, geolocation of areas to be treated, positioning and control of irrigation systems and the development of new agronomic practices. And it is through the collection and analysis of data that all this is made possible.

This is why all the IoT systems set up must be able to communicate with each other and be controlled remotely, in a centralized way, thanks to sensors. As well as all the data captured, centralizing them to get the best analysis is undoubtedly the best thing to do. This is what the SoM2M#IoT and SoDATA#Viz data management and visualization platforms make possible.

1. Cultivate and collect data

Soil moisture, plant growth and treatment, herd geolocation, crop irrigation … are all essential information for farmers to manage their farms. By using IoT, they opt for intelligent agriculture and significantly improve their working comfort. This digital transformation of the sector allows an optimized management of agricultural production and natural resources consumed.

2. Reduce environmental impact

Excess fertilizer, water and electricity consumption are responsible… The agricultural world has a strong impact on the environment. Today more than ever, this sector is aware of this reality and is increasingly committed to preserving our planet, notably through the use of connected solutions.