The farm is perhaps the last place where you would look for advanced technology. But pressures on food production make agriculture a prime candidate for harnessing the potential of automation and the IoT. Real-time data collection is the key to improving yields and making the most of precious resources.
In drought-prone areas, moisture sensors buried in the soil can slash water consumption and ensure none is wasted. Traditionally, farmers will deploy irrigation on a regular schedule based on average weather and soil conditions. But this leads to much of the water draining away unproductively because the crops do not need such a regular infusion.
Soil monitoring makes it possible to target irrigation to where it is needed, when it is needed. Moisture sensors use conductivity to gauge the presence of water in the soil. When the conductivity drops far enough, the sensor can alert a remote control system to the need for water. The necessary irrigation can be delivered using sprinklers, drip or furrow flooding systems.
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