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Jan 13, 2020

How connected farming is helping farmers merge old ways with new tech

  • Manage systems and machines
    • Insights overview

    Connected farming is exactly what the agricultural industry needs to stay afloat

    We all know that technology has made leaps and bounds in every industry during the 21st century, so it should come as no surprise that agriculture is reaping the benefits as well. What is now becoming known as connected farming is beginning to help farms to improve crops, decrease interruptions, and encourage sustainable agriculture. Despite all this, it still comes down to the farmers themselves to make use of the right technology to turn ordinary farms into connected farms.

    Centuries-old habits of tending to the land, crop harvesting, and organising fields for the following seasons aren’t leaving overnight, but simply adapting to new ways thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT) and automated farming methods. Farmers are better able to collect data and use this to make the right decisions at the right time – something that might have previously been down to a farmer’s intuition and experience. Every farmer wants to increase productivity, and speed up labour while decreasing waste, cost, and risk. An ever-growing population means more mouths to feed across the world and more requirements to produce food for billions. Therefore, farms are trusting IoT connected farming to assist them with meeting these demands.

    What is automated farming used for exactly?

    Every farmer will have an idea of the best times and places to grow crops and when to harvest these, but there are many things that are much harder to predict. Daily weather conditions, soil requirements, and equipment potentially breaking down can all be predicted with the help of sensors, drones, artificial intelligence, and of course IoT. With so much irregularity in a farmer’s work, connected farming is there to notify before the worst can happen in order to avoid losing money and time. For example, TeamViewer and Trimble have combined for a great IoT device that is already providing real-time smart farming support.

    The advantages of connected farms

    • Getting real-time data on crop water levels to reduce under or overwatering

    • Irrigation recommendations on a weekly or daily basis

    • IoT software devices that are easy and affordable – you could try out TeamViewer’s starter kit

    • Farmers are able to see all their field conditions at one glance

    • Spotting any crop diseases before they could ruin a harvest

    • Gathering data to avoid spoiling any healthy crops by mistake when using pesticides

    • Less “guesswork” and a better level of quality based on real data and sensors

    • Saving time, resources, and lessening risk factors – maintaining consistent quality over the seasons

       

    What to take into consideration with connected farming

    The use of automated farming is most certainly a boon to any farmer, but what’s also worth bearing in mind that this is a whole new type of technology to learn and discover. More software and equipment may add some initial difficulty to the operations of a farm, and farmers need to discover how to install and fix any connected gear. However, this will come with time and be a part of the process just like any other farming habit.

    To avoid mistakes, it’s necessary to consider what type of IoT devices and software you’ll require for your specific farm, how data transfer can be employed (communication options such as NFC, RFID, BLE, or LPWAN), how any equipment will be powered, and how often the collection of data is necessary.

    Implement the right steps and farms can be revolutionised in a way that makes them prosperous and sustainable for years to come.