In the agriculture market, sensor data is enabling farmers to operate more effectively. The rollout of rural wireless networks and the adoption of connected devices with new and innovative sensing technologies are helping to increase crop yields, improve livestock management and better allocate resources. Air and soil sensors, for example, are providing farm owners with real-time data that allow them to optimize growing conditions. Smart irrigation systems are minimizing water loss. And field management and vegetation control systems are enabling farmers to monitor the state of their crops, providing real-time data that can be used for accurate harvest forecasting and improved crop quality.
The benefits delivered by these Internet of Things (IoT) network and sensor technologies don’t stop at the farm. The same underlying technology used in the field can be leveraged to enhance delivery services, and ultimately contribute to process automation in which harvested perishable goods and fresh foods can be delivered based on real-time supply and demand. Being able to accurately track goods and assets as they move through the supply chain is allowing farmers, distributors, and retailers to work together in new ways to meet the world’s food demands while safeguarding public health and protecting the environment.