Smart Agriculture Solutions with IoT: Boosting Efficiency and Sustainability
- Nguyen Nhut Quy
- Jun 25
- 13 min read
Updated: Aug 15
Agriculture today isn't just about hard work—it’s a challenge of precision, strategy, and resilience. Farm managers like you are navigating pressures such as unpredictable weather, rising input costs, and labor shortages, all while trying to maintain consistent yields and sustainable operations.
IoT-driven smart agriculture offers a powerful solution. According to the UNESCO World Water Development Report 2024, an overwhelming 70 % of global freshwater withdrawals go to agriculture. At the same time, A Study on IoT-Enabled Precision Irrigation Systems for Sustainable Water Management reported in International Journal of Scientific Research in Science and Technology by Pratyush Kumar Prabhat and Prof. Dr. Kaushlesh Kumar Singh found that IoT-powered precision irrigation systems can reduce water usage by up to 40 %, compared to traditional irrigation methods. That means smarter farming isn’t just a buzzword - it’s a way to:
Save scarce resources like water and nutrients
Cut operational costs
Boost productivity and crop quality
And manage all of this remotely and efficiently
In this article, we’ll explore how IoT in agriculture works, highlight real-world use cases - from precision irrigation to livestock monitoring - and guide you on the key considerations when evaluating or deploying these solutions on your own farm.
What Is IoT in Agriculture and How Does It Work?
The Internet of Things (IoT) is transforming agriculture by connecting the physical world - soil, plants, weather, and livestock - to digital intelligence. In simple terms, IoT in agriculture refers to a system of smart sensors, wireless networks, and cloud-based platforms that work together to monitor and manage farm operations in continuously and remotely.
The process starts at the field level, where sensors are deployed to capture critical environmental and biological data. For instance, soil sensors monitor moisture and temperature continuously at different depths, providing farmers with a precise understanding of when and how much to irrigate - far beyond what manual inspection can achieve.
A Review of Precision Irrigation Water-Saving Technology under Changing Climate for Enhancing Water Use Efficiency, Crop Yield, and Environmental Footprints "The result showed that the IoT-based sensor irrigation strategy can save up to 30% on irrigation while maintaining the same product yields and quality." — Imran Ali Lakhiar, Haofang Yan, Chuan Zhang, Guoqing Wang, Bin He, Beibei Hao, Yujing Han, Biyu Wang, Rongxuan Bao,Tabinda Naz Syed, Junaid Nawaz Chauhdary and Md. Rakibuzzaman
In greenhouse operations, smart sensors track air temperature, humidity, CO₂ levels, and light intensity. Meanwhile, wearable IoT devices attached to livestock continuously monitor body temperature, behavior, and movement patterns. These devices can flag early signs of illness or heat stress - often before symptoms are visible - giving farmers critical time to respond.
All this sensor data is transmitted wirelessly using low-power wide-area network (LPWAN) technologies such as LoRaWAN, NB-IoT, or Sigfox. These standards enable long-range communication - often exceeding 10 kilometres in open-field scenarios - while consuming minimal energy.
LoRa Communication for Agriculture 4.0: Opportunities, Challenges, and Future Directions "LoRa-enabled sensors and devices are designed to operate on low power, allowing them to function for extended periods, ranging from months to years, on a single battery charge." — Lameya Aldhaheri, Noor Alshehhi, Irfana Ilyas Jameela Manzil, Ruhul Amin Khalil, Shumaila Javaid, Nasir Saeed, Mohamed-Slim Alouini
At the centre of the system is the IoT platform. This cloud-based software aggregates the incoming data, visualises it in dashboards, analyses patterns, and can trigger actions or alerts based on pre-set thresholds. From a smartphone or laptop, a farmer can check in-time soil conditions, view a week’s worth of microclimate data, or receive instant notifications when a sensor detects abnormal changes. This not only enables faster decisions, but also automates processes - like starting irrigation in a specific zone when soil moisture falls below a defined threshold.
More importantly, IoT shifts agriculture from reactive to predictive. Traditional farming depends heavily on visual checks and seasonal experience. With continuous data streams and remote control capabilities, farmers can respond proactively to potential issues, plan ahead based on actual field conditions, and scale operations without a proportional increase in labor.
5 Real-World Applications of IoT in Agriculture
IoT isn’t just a concept anymore - it’s being used every day on farms across the world. Below are five practical applications where wireless sensor technology is helping farmers increase efficiency, reduce losses, and make better decisions.
Precision Irrigation with Soil Moisture Sensors
One of the most pressing challenges in modern agriculture is how to water crops efficiently - especially in regions facing increasing water stress. Traditional irrigation scheduling, often based on fixed intervals or estimations, tends to result in overwatering or under-irrigation, both of which can negatively impact crop yields and soil health.
IoT-based soil moisture sensors offer a smarter solution. These devices, installed directly into the soil, monitor in-time moisture levels at various depths and transmit that data to a central platform. The system then decides exactly when and where to irrigate - automatically turning on irrigation lines only when necessary.
Implementation of an in-field IoT system for precision irrigation management "A study conducted by Boltana et al. (2023) showed that the soil moisture sensor-based method saved 18% of irrigation water compared to the ET-based method in tomato fields (Boltana et al., 2023). Moreover, the sensor-based irrigation method increased water use efficiency in soybean and potato fields by 49% and 16%, respectively (Wood et al., 2020; Dong et al., 2023)." — Younsuk Dong, Benjamin Werling, Zhichao Cao, Gen Li
These results underline not only water savings but also the potential to maintain or improve yield while reducing resource use. By adopting soil moisture–driven irrigation, farms can move away from guesswork and toward data-informed, zone-specific watering—a major leap in both sustainability and profitability.
Moreover, this system is particularly scalable for large farms when paired with low-power wide-area networks (LPWANs) like LoRaWAN, which transmit sensor data over several kilometers without needing constant power supply.
Smart Greenhouse Monitoring
Greenhouse farming is one of the most effective ways to protect crops from harsh external conditions and produce high-value vegetables and fruits all year round. However, maintaining optimal internal conditions—especially in extreme climates like Saudi Arabia—remains a major challenge. In such environments, summer temperatures can exceed 50°C, making manual climate control both inefficient and energy-intensive.
To address this, researchers Subahi and Bouazza proposed an intelligent IoT-based system designed to monitor and regulate greenhouse temperature autonomously, reducing energy consumption while maintaining crop-friendly conditions.
An Intelligent IoT-Based System Design for Controlling and Monitoring Greenhouse Temperature "A highly scalable intelligent system, using IoT technologies, controlling and monitoring the greenhouse internal temperature, and reducing the consumed energy while maintaining good conditions, which improve productivity." — Ahmad F. Subahi; Kheir Eddine Bouazza
Their system works through three core components:
A network of wireless temperature sensors continuously tracks both external and internal conditions.
A Petri Net–based supervisor model evaluates external factors—like outside temperature, time of day, and national grid consumption levels—to determine a reference temperature.
A PID (Proportional-Integral-Derivative) controller ensures that the internal environment reaches and maintains that reference.
What makes this approach smart is its context-awareness: during national energy “rush hours” (typically 11:00–17:00), the system automatically raises the greenhouse reference temperature slightly (e.g., from 24°C to 27°C), which reduces energy demand without harming plants. After rush hours, the system readjusts back to the optimal value.
Simulation results from the study showed that using this smart IoT control approach led to a 38.45% reduction in energy consumption compared to traditional On/Off control systems over a 14-hour operation period (8:00–22:00). In specific numbers:
Traditional On/Off system used 1514.76 kWh
Smart PID-based IoT system used only 932.36 kWh
Beyond energy savings, the system also integrates automated sunshade awnings, which open and close based on sun angle. This passive method further reduces internal temperature without increasing electricity demand, adding another layer of efficiency and plant protection.
This design illustrates how intelligent IoT control in greenhouses is no longer a theoretical concept—it is a practical solution that reduces operating costs, minimizes waste, and supports sustainable year-round farming even in the most extreme climates.
Livestock Tracking and Health Monitoring
As herd sizes grow and disease risks rise, keeping track of individual animal health has become one of the most complex tasks in modern farming. Fortunately, wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are offering powerful new tools to monitor cattle health in in-time, supporting both early disease detection and more efficient herd management.
In a comprehensive survey of smart cattle monitoring technologies, Sharma & Koundal found that wearable IoT devices—such as smart collars and ear tags—can track a wide range of physiological and behavioral indicators: body temperature, heart rate, rumination, respiratory rate, and even mobility patterns like grazing, lying, and walking.
Cattle health monitoring system using wireless sensor network: a survey from innovation perspective “Monitoring the behaviour of dairy cattle is useful to assess their health status, welfare, and comfort... These can be used as input to an early warning system.” — Bhisham Sharma, Deepika Koundal
For example, ear-mounted tympanic thermometers like FeverTag or bolus sensors like CorTemp can detect abnormal internal temperatures—an early sign of infections such as mastitis, ketosis, or bovine respiratory disease. Accelerometers in neck or leg tags measure movement and posture, allowing the system to identify lameness or stress-related behaviors, while GPS-enabled tags help locate and track cattle in open grazing environments.
The system architecture described includes:
Sensors (temperature, humidity, movement)
Microcontrollers (e.g., Arduino or NodeMCU)
Wireless modules (e.g., Zigbee or LoRa)
Data processing platforms with alert capabilities
Thanks to low-cost, low-power technologies, these systems can operate for extended periods in rural areas. Importantly, automated alerts allow farmers to act quickly—before symptoms are visible to the human eye—reducing veterinary costs and improving animal welfare.
While challenges remain, including device robustness and network connectivity in remote pastures, the study concludes that wearable sensor systems are becoming key enablers for precision livestock farming, especially as they integrate with cloud-based dashboards and AI-driven health prediction models.
This shift to data-driven cattle care is a natural fit for larger-scale farms, especially those aiming to reduce antibiotic use, comply with traceability standards, or improve milk yield consistency. By monitoring each animal individually and continuously, IoT makes proactive herd health management not only possible—but practical.
Climate & Environmental Monitoring
In many parts of the world, unpredictable microclimates and extreme weather are taking a growing toll on agriculture. For farms located near coastal areas, sea-level fluctuations—driven by tides, storms, and climate-induced rise—pose a significant threat to infrastructure and crop production alike. That’s where IoT-based environmental monitoring steps in to fill a critical need: in-time, remote sensing of changing natural conditions.
A study presents a compelling implementation of such a system in a coastal Indonesian setting, using a combination of pressure sensors, Arduino microcontrollers, and GSM-enabled data transmission. The system continuously recorded tidal fluctuations and sent in-time water level data to a cloud dashboard every 10 minutes.
Tidal Analysis and Implementasion of an Internet of Things (IoT) Sea Level Monitoring Device in Coastal Region “The device demonstrated a reading accuracy of 96.76% with a root mean square error of just 3.24 cm… The highest sea level recorded was 209.55 cm, showing significant tidal fluctuation risk.” — Hollanda Arief Kusuma , Farista Egistian, Allsay Kitsash Addifisyukha Cintra, Dwi Eny Djoko Setyono
Not only did the system detect regular semidiurnal tide cycles (two highs, two lows per day), it also identified the two dominant tidal constituents—K1 and M2—with high amplitudes (0.4178 m and 0.4007 m) and excellent signal-to-noise ratios (SNR 380 and 270). These insights are critical, not just for coastal zone protection, but also for inland farms influenced by tidal rivers and estuarine systems.
The hardware setup—built around cost-effective components like the SIM900A GSM module and DS3231 in-time clock—makes this solution replicable for agriculture applications such as:
Flood alert systems for paddy fields
Saltwater intrusion detection in aquaculture zones
Microclimate warnings for coastal greenhouses
This approach is especially valuable in remote or infrastructure-poor areas, where internet connectivity is unreliable and wired sensors are impractical. With battery-powered IoT nodes transmitting via GSM, farmers can monitor environmental parameters without physically visiting the site—saving time, reducing risk, and improving disaster preparedness.
The research also underscores a vital insight: while sensors can detect physical parameters, integrating that data with local tidal modeling (e.g., T_TIDE software) helps generate predictive alerts. This is the next step in transforming raw sensor data into meaningful decisions for agricultural protection.
Storage and Cold Chain Monitoring
For many agricultural producers, the harvest is just the beginning. What happens during storage and transportation can determine whether a crop reaches the market at full value—or suffers losses from spoilage. Perishable goods such as vegetables, fruits, dairy, and meat require constant temperature regulation across the entire supply chain. This is where IoT-enabled cold chain monitoring steps in.
In their 2024 study, Alshdadi et al. designed and tested a low-cost IoT-based prototype to monitor temperature throughout cold product storage and transportation in real-world conditions in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. The system consisted of:
DHT22 temperature sensors for environmental readings
NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller for data processing and Wi-Fi transmission
3.7V lithium-ion battery for portable energy supply
Adafruit cloud platform for data visualization and alerting
The system architecture included three main layers:
Perception layer – sensors that capture temperature data.
Network layer – microcontroller and Wi-Fi that transmit data.
Application layer – cloud dashboard where data is visualized, thresholds are set, and smart contracts can be enforced (e.g., voiding transactions if cold conditions aren't met).
A notable advantage is its in-time accessibility: suppliers, transporters, and retailers can all log in to monitor conditions via private cloud links. This visibility is crucial for food safety compliance, insurance claims, and consumer trust—especially as cold chain traceability becomes a legal requirement in many countries.
An IoT Smart System for Cold Supply Chain Storage and Transportation Μanagement Experimental tests showed the system to be accurate, low-cost (180 SAR ≈ $48), and adaptable to either stationary cold rooms or mobile trucks. Temperature was successfully monitored and recorded throughout two scenarios: local storage and point-to-point transportation between city districts. — Abdulrahman Alshdadi, Souad Kamel, Eesa Alsolami, Miltiadis D. Lytras, Sahbi Boubaker
By leveraging affordable components and a cloud-based interface, the system opens the door to scalable cold chain visibility, even for smaller agricultural operations. This empowers farms and co-ops to prevent cold chain breaches, reduce spoilage, and improve product quality upon arrival—resulting in both economic and sustainability gains.
Further reading: Real-World IIoT Applications Explained by Use Case and Industry
Key Benefits of Using IoT in Agriculture
After seeing how IoT is applied in the real world—from irrigation to livestock monitoring—it’s important to take a step back and look at the bigger picture: What exactly do these technologies offer, and why are more farms adopting them?
One of the clearest benefits is using resources more efficiently. Instead of watering based on guesswork or fixed schedules, IoT systems irrigate only when the soil actually needs it. In field trials, this approach has saved up to 30–50% of water, while still keeping yields consistent. The same applies to fertilizer, energy, and even labor.
Another major advantage is automation. Farmers no longer need to walk the field or check every greenhouse manually. Sensors monitor everything—from soil moisture and climate to animal movement—and automatically trigger actions. Irrigation turns on when needed. Greenhouse fans adjust when temperatures rise. You can even get in-time alerts on your phone if something goes wrong.
With this automation comes peace of mind. IoT gives you a constant, live overview of what’s happening on your farm—even if you’re not there. You can track trends over time, compare seasons, and respond faster when things change. That means fewer surprises and better planning.
IoT also makes farming more proactive. For example, sensors can detect early signs of disease in cattle—long before you’d notice anything visually. Or they can predict when crops are under stress, based on soil and weather patterns. By catching problems early, you reduce losses and improve overall health.
One of the most underrated benefits is data centralization. All your sensor data is collected in one place—usually a cloud-based dashboard—where it’s easy to see, analyze, and act on. This kind of visibility makes it easier to plan irrigation schedules, adjust greenhouse conditions, or make planting decisions based on actual field conditions.
Lastly, IoT helps you meet the rising need for traceability and compliance. Whether you're exporting produce or working with retailers who demand visibility, IoT can provide records that show how, when, and under what conditions your crops were grown and stored. In short, IoT gives farmers more control, more insight, and more confidence—not just for today’s work, but for building a smarter, more resilient farm for the future.
Things to Consider Before Deploying IoT on Your Farm
While the benefits of IoT in agriculture are clear, implementing it successfully requires more than just buying sensors and plugging them in. To get the most value—and avoid wasted effort—it’s important to think through some key factors before getting started.
One of the first considerations is connectivity. Many farms operate in rural areas where traditional internet access is unreliable or unavailable. Before deploying any IoT devices, you'll need to assess what communication technologies are viable for your location. Solutions like LoRaWAN or NB-IoT are often used in agriculture because they work well in remote environments and allow long-distance, low-power data transmission. However, they may require setting up your own gateway infrastructure or choosing a provider that already supports your area.
Next is the question of power supply. Some sensors run on batteries and can last for years; others may require solar panels or wired power depending on data frequency, environmental conditions, or sensor type. For example, a soil sensor reporting every 15 minutes will consume far less power than a real-time video surveillance node. Understanding your farm’s layout and energy needs will help you choose the right combination of hardware.
You’ll also need to consider data management. A successful IoT deployment will generate large volumes of data—soil readings, temperature logs, livestock movements, and more. To make this useful (rather than overwhelming), you’ll want a cloud platform or farm management system that can organize, visualize, and alert you to meaningful changes. In many cases, it’s smart to start small—monitoring just one zone or greenhouse—and scale up once you’re confident in how the data translates into action.
Cost and return on investment (ROI) are also key. While basic sensors can be relatively inexpensive, costs increase when you factor in installation, connectivity, software subscriptions, and maintenance. It’s helpful to calculate potential savings from water, fertilizer, labor, or loss prevention and compare that to your initial outlay. In many real-world deployments, farms report positive ROI within the first 1–2 growing seasons—but this depends heavily on the crop type, scale, and challenges you’re solving.
Lastly, don’t overlook training and change management. Even the best technology won’t deliver results if your team doesn’t know how to use it—or doesn’t trust it. Make sure that whoever is operating or managing the farm is involved in the process early, receives proper onboarding, and feels confident interpreting the data. Over time, the goal is to make IoT a seamless part of daily operations, not just a side experiment.
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