INTRODUCTION
Climate change and decrease in farmland areas coupled with increasing population are putting pressure on the world food supply. Traditional ways of farming are not able to meet such food supply shortages. Farmers use smart sensors to help in these situations greatly.
Smart sensors using wireless or web applications help farmers monitor their crops’ ecosystems. Farmers can choose interval-based monitoring or constant monitoring, both manually or computer-controlled using their tabs or laptops. Farmers use smart sensors with data loggers or data controllers. The connection between sensors and data loggers could be wired or wireless. After this, the farmer need only take one more step – to utilize the IoT – to go on to practice Smart Farming (we need to cover that in our next blog).
The use of smart farming using agricultural sensors as per requirement is happening now on the farms. As sensor and controller prices fall smart farming will happen in a very large part of the globe. It is driven by ever happening climate change with continuous dry or wet conditions, high temperatures, higher and higher pollution, ever-decreasing farmlands, and increasing population.
USAGE OF SENSORS IN AGRICULTURE
Some ways farmers would be able to monitor using sensors are temperatures, the humidity of the soil, fertilizer levels, any damages to fences, etc. a whole host of imaginative applications are possible.
Sensors can be fixed and installed in the beds, in drip and fertigation systems, in drones, in fences, in machinery, etc.
Sensors can be controlled either by wire-line or by wireless. In wireless mode, the sensors can even be controlled through mobile apps on farmer’s mobiles.
TYPES OF SMART SENSORS USED IN AGRICULTURE
Electro-chemical sensors
Such sensors are used to provide soil nutrient data using ion-selective electrodes. The electrodes can measure the active ions of nitrate, potassium, or hydrogen. Calibration of the electrodes is done in the sensors or at the back end where data is sent. Such sensors are also used in drip line fertigation systems to maintain precise N, P, and K levels in the water being fed to drippers. Computers can have pre-programs to give different ratios of NPK. E.C and pH meters are another example of same type.
Soil Moisture sensors
Such sensors are used to measure the moisture of the soil. Such measurement is used for irrigation as required. The most common types of soil moisture sensors include tensiometer, capacitance, dielectric method, gypsum blocks, volumetric, and neutron probes. These sensors either measure soil tension or measure volumetric water content when placed in the soil.
GPS enabled location sensors
Such sensors are used to determine the position of any object or corners of the farm
Smart Sensors installed on farm machinery tractors etc.
Such sensors can give information on the use of the equipment remote to the farmer or the maintenance company. The data can be downloaded to computers or emailed to concerned persons.
Controllers for smart sensors
Automated controllers are used for feedback to and from sensors in foggers, sprinklers, fan pads, and drip lines either on a time interval basis or on a constant monitoring method. This equipment controls the working of the sensors. Coupling is possible both by wire lines or wireless or web applications.
USE OF WEB APPS ON MOBILE AS SENSORS
Many web apps are now available to the farmers. They help in the following:
- GPS: location for mapping crops, for alerts on zones where disease pest outbreak occurs.
- Camera: plant leaf health, ambient lighting, ripeness of fruits, availability of fertilizers and nutrients in the soil and fertigation drip lines, etc.
- Microphone: Maintenance of machinery.
- Determination of correct fertilizers levels for different types of crops.
There are many free and paid apps for mobiles and desktops both by government agencies and by private initiatives.
SENSORS ARE FRIENDS OF FARMERS
The sensors used intelligently provide precise data on time and allow to take effective action for any course corrections. Drip technology with fertigation systems benefits tremendously and farmers save on the amount of water and fertilizers. Detection of disease or pests on time allows for remedial actions that considerably save farmers’ crops. Temperature, pressure, wind velocity, etc. warn of any abnormal atmospheric activity. Sensors allow auto-open and close of shade nets to control temperature and brightness levels in poly houses. It is possible to remote control tractor machinery in farmland for autonomous operations. Farmers can better face labor shortages and save on costs using the remote control of sensors and data monitoring.
More reads:
- Agriculture Practices Mitigate Climate Change and Global Warming
- Are Robotic Devices the future for increasing Farm Productivity
Hi ; I have had opportunity to travel widely and have keen watched whatever farming practices the local farmers were engaged in. Back home been growing gerberas mostly in polyhouses, but outside in kitchen garden as well. i love these hardy perennials. good for business too if done in a routine orderly scientific manner. Also engaged in farming of wheat and organic vegetables on a small scale for me and family. My service profile has been that of an electronic and telecom engineer and now am engaged in web site creation and blogging.
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