Get a sneak peek into the future of farming! Explore how IoT influences agriculture with solutions that cut costs and drive productivity.
Farming is getting tougher — and pricier. Costs for raising crops and caring for livestock in the U.S. hit a record $460 billion in 2023 — a 28% increase since 2020. However, using IoT in agriculture might change the entire game.
Basically, by adopting smart farming using IoT, you cut costs, increase efficiency, and get more from your resources. In this article, WebbyLab, an IoT software development services provider, will show you how to achieve exactly that, exploring key IoT solutions for agriculture and implementation challenges.
To illustrate these points, we’ll draw on our experience in the domain that includes building a smart greenhouse system based on the 2Smart Standalone platform.
The hardware center of the smart greenhouse system built by WebbyLab
IoT in agriculture involves using software products and smart devices to improve the efficiency and profitability of an agricultural business. These devices, fitted with IoT sensors, let farmers measure and track various parameters — soil moisture, temperature, humidity, and nutrient levels, among other things.
The global IoT technology for agriculture market was valued at over $27 billion in 2021. It’s set to surpass $84 billion by 2031. This significant growth of IoT in smart farming market shows just how eager farmers are to embrace new technologies.
And that’s no surprise, given that smart farming benefits include the following:
Precision farming, one of the key IoT applications in agriculture, is also getting more popular. It uses technologies like GPS, GIS, sensors, aerial devices, or field mapping to streamline crop management processes, increase production levels, and improve profitability. It also optimizes the use of such traditional resources as electricity, fuel, and water, contributing to sustainable agriculture growth.
If you take a closer look at the IoT applications in agriculture, you will see that they typically cover the following needs:
| Solution | How It Works |
| Climate Analysis | Using the gathered climate data, you can base your decisions on real-time conditions and predict whether your crops will be able to withstand severe weather. By monitoring, you can predict future developments and send alerts to your personnel to manage issues more quickly. There is no need to be physically present to analyze temperature, humidity, or wind, as the process is fully automated. |
| Precision Farming | Precision farming technology makes it possible to obtain accurate data, which allows a farmer to monitor livestock, track vehicles, manage inventory, and perform other tasks. Using accurate data, farmers can make informed decisions and manage processes more effectively. |
| Cloud-Based Data Analysis | Regular databases don’t allow users to effectively manage and analyze data gathered with the help of an Internet of Things system. Using cloud-based platforms, you can build an efficient smart agriculture solution to make better decisions about your business. You will get updates about the status of your crops and livestock, which will allow you to improve the quality of your products. |
| Drones | The introduction of drones has fully transformed the agricultural industry. These days, companies use ground and aerial drones to monitor crops, treat them against pests, apply fertilizers, gather information about climate conditions, and perform field analysis. Drones fitted with multispectral sensors can detect the areas of the field with some irrigation issues. In addition, they can measure the health of crops. |
| Livestock Monitoring | IoT solutions can monitor the health and behavior of animals through sensors that provide real-time insights into feeding patterns, activity levels, and even early signs of illness. |
| Resource Management and Energy Efficiency | With IoT, farmers can track costs and energy usage, and task automation here is key to managing everything effectively. For example, using systems like our 2Smart Cloud, you can save resources and improve growth efficiency. |
| Product Logistics | IoT gives you real-time control over vehicle telemetry, including its location and status. It also lets you monitor and manage the conditions of the products being transported. |
Ready to build your IoT agriculture solution? WebbyLab is here to assist you!
Implementing IoT agriculture solutions brings a plethora of advantages. Let’s look at the main ones:
| Benefit | Its Impact |
| Better Decision-Making | All data on the environment, soil condition, and crops enable farmers to make better decisions regarding agricultural management. As a result, field owners can timely respond to local changes and eliminate risks that may affect yield. |
| Process Automation | One of the key advantages of implementing IoT in agriculture is that such solutions enable companies to automate processes and make their operations less time-consuming. You can use such tools to control irrigation and fertilizing processes, among many others. |
| High Product Quality | Information collected with IoT devices helps companies improve the production process and the quality of crops. Using edge technology, professionals can make high-accuracy predictions and manage processes more efficiently, which results in excellent product quality. |
| Minimization of Risks | Thanks to data collection, companies can mitigate risks and estimate the amount of production they are going to release during a specific period. By organizing large amounts of data and centralizing access to it, they can solve possible issues more efficiently. |
| Reduced Waste | IoT allows farmers to determine the exact amount of fertilizers, herbicides, and chemicals needed for a specific field. It also helps optimize the use of fuel, water, and electricity. All this benefits the environment and reduces the amount of harmful waste. |
Being a well-established company with over ten years of experience, WebbyLab can handle IoT app development from scratch or improve the functionality of an existing solution. Explore our smart farming technologies expertise in greater depth:
One of the best examples of IoT use cases in agriculture we haven’t yet discussed is a smart greenhouse. After connecting weather stations to monitoring devices, you can automatically configure climate conditions. Companies can manage fully automated greenhouses without any human input, which makes them great value for the money.
WebbyLab has created a smart greenhouse system based on the 2Smart Standalone automation platform. The system uses data from various sensors that measure:
We connected controlled IoT devices for agriculture measuring lighting, watering, fertilization, and ventilation into a single system using different IoT protocols — Modbus, Zigbee, and KNX, in particular.
Hardware connected to the smart greenhouse’s mini-computer
Through our solution, a greenhouse is divided into separate sectors with a unique microclimate. To configure the parameters of a greenhouse, you can use a tablet with a 2Smart Standalone dashboard. However, you can control the system from anywhere around the globe by integrating a white-label mobile app.
All the historical sensor values are stored in the database of the platform. To analyze this data, you can use a web-based service Grafana that integrates with 2Smart Standalone.
A dashboard for analyzing IoT greenhouse data
On top of that, it’s possible to implement precision agriculture technology within our greenhouse automation system. However, this tech is best suited for larger greenhouses, usually covering areas measured in hectares. To scale up our system, you just need the right sensors and IoT protocols. For instance, LoRaWAN is perfect for creating long-range networks.
As the 2Smart Standalone platform supports different custom scenarios and precision agriculture using IoT despite what smart greenhouse project you operate, it is suitable for companies that strive to scale up their systems. It enables them to solve any issue they might face along the way.
The good news for small-scale greenhouse owners is that we offer controllers for greenhouse automation. Based on 2Smart Standalone as well, it can significantly simplify your greenhouse management. Download the PDF now to learn more about its features.
Kostiantyn Oliynyk
Head of IoT at WebbylabHelped dozens of startups create effective IOT products.
Get a ConsultationDespite the obvious benefits of IoT for agriculture, companies that strive to leverage this technology might face unexpected issues if they are unprepared.
The core IoT challenges and solutions are described below:
These days, it’s mostly large companies that benefit from IoT for smart farming as such solutions require capital investment. One of the main challenges is that the implementation is difficult and costly.
If you own a small company and want to use precision farming technology, keep in mind that it might be too expensive to install and maintain multiple sensors, create a monitoring app, and use cloud-based services.
In some locations, mobile network coverage remains insufficient. This problem might become a real issue for farms located in Africa and Asia. An app has to transmit large volumes of data, which requires a stable internet connection.
It’s crucial for companies to prevent unauthorized access to their data. If you need to work with sensitive information, it’s important to ensure that other companies won’t be able to access it. This is why it’s crucial to use services provided by trusted companies that specialize in the Internet of Things and agriculture solutions.
WebbyLab makes IoT solutions accessible for all agricultural businesses, regardless of their size. In particular, we can set up a robust network that extends coverage, even in rural areas. We also offer reliable, secure services protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.
Need IoT solutions for agriculture? Consult with our experts!
The cost of smart farming IoT solutions depends on various factors, from the solution’s complexity and the number of devices and sensors to the level of customization required. Here’s what it consists of:
Generally, a smart farming platform with basic features is priced at approximately $10,000.
But wait, maybe you don’t even need to build your own solutions that use IoT for smart farming. Let’s figure this out.
The importance of IoT for smart farming is expected to grow in the future. AgTech and precision agriculture are key to tackling the emerging food crisis and growing demand for agricultural products. The industry will benefit from blockchain technology and artificial intelligence as well.
It’s crucial to implement IoT in agriculture today to optimize processes through automated data gathering and analysis. But before you begin, consider this:
The professionals working for WebbyLab know how to leverage IoT in agriculture market and make businesses more efficient. You can take a closer look at the cases in our portfolio to learn more about the technologies we use in our projects. Alternatively, you can drop us a line and describe the issues you need to solve.
Written by:
Head of IoT at Webbylab
With a robust academic background in Telecommunication Systems Engineering, I apply my knowledge to lead innovations in the IoT domain. Starting as the first team member in the newly formed IoT department at WebbyLab, I've spearheaded its growth, fostering the expansion into embedded and hardware development alongside our core software projects. My dedication lies in pushing the boundaries of IoT technology, fostering a culture of innovation and excellence that profoundly impacts our clients' operational success.
The cost of implementing agriculture in IoT depends on the size of your farm, the precision farming technologies you need, and the complexity of the solution. Basic systems typically start around $10,000. For a more accurate estimate, contact our team at WebbyLab.
The time it takes to implement precision farming using IoT varies, but a basic setup might take a few months. If you add complex IoT smart features like multiple wireless sensors, the timeline could extend to a year or more.
An impressive ROI is probably one of the top smart farming benefits. The return on investment can be substantial, as IoT leads to reduced resource waste, better crop yields, and labor savings.
While smart agriculture using IoT automates many tasks, having someone to oversee the system might be helpful.
IoT solutions benefit all farming types, especially vertical farming, greenhouse operations, and precision-based field management. Larger farms with specific challenges, like water scarcity or pest control, can often see the greatest advantages.
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