Background of IoT Applications in Smart Agriculture

With the rapid development of society and the rapid expansion of urban areas, the availability of flat land has decreased, leading to a reduction in arable land. In response, the national government has significantly increased its support for agriculture. With the gradual maturity of IoT technology, its application in traditional agriculture has become increasingly widespread, leading to the emergence of more intelligent farming methods. According to experts, it is estimated that by 2050, smart agriculture IoT technologies will help increase food production by 70%, feeding over 9 billion people. How to create more yield on limited land is crucial, and the idea of "local adaptation" becomes particularly important. We know that crops rely on a good living environment, such as moisture, light, carbon dioxide, and suitable temperature and humidity, to grow well.

To meet these needs, EBYTE has implemented a smart agriculture solution based on LoRaWAN nodes and gateways. Through this solution, farms can monitor soil conditions and climate in real time, analyzing the crops' needs for carbon dioxide, light intensity, nutrients, temperature, and humidity, achieving an optimal growth environment for the crops.

Technical Challenges of IoT Applications in Smart Agriculture

  1. Wireless Deployment Required
    Since the environment is a farm, complex wiring can be cumbersome. The proposed solution only requires wireless deployment, reducing the difficulty and cost of installation and maintenance.

  2. Real-Time Data Reporting to Ensure Accuracy
    To meet the real-time needs of crop growth, the data must be timely and accurate. Environmental parameters such as carbon dioxide, temperature, and humidity should be reported regularly.

  3. Scalability of the Solution
    The solution must be adaptable to different farms, avoiding repeated work, and ensuring it can be easily replicated for mass application across farms.

Introduction to the Smart Agriculture IoT Application Solution

As shown in the diagram below, this is a smart agriculture solution based on LoRaWAN networking. Modbus protocol sensors are deployed in the farm. Since the devices are dispersed, to transmit data to the server with minimal wiring, an intermediary device that can read Modbus device data and upload it to the LoRaWAN gateway is needed to replace direct communication between the server and the devices. Therefore, we can use the E78-DTU (470LN22) LoRaWAN data transmission module as an intermediary device, which works in conjunction with the LoRaWAN gateway to transmit the collected sensor data to the server. Additionally, the E78-DTU (470LN22) data transmission module supports bi-directional transparent transmission, allowing the cloud server to actively send collection instructions to read the Modbus slave device data.

In this IoT application solution, farms can collect real-time data from temperature and humidity sensors, light intensity sensors, carbon dioxide sensors, and other devices through the E78 series LoRaWAN node modules. The data is periodically reported to the server or cloud via the gateway. Customers can use the server to assess the crop environment and provide optimal growth strategies

Advantages of the IoT Application in Smart Agriculture

In agricultural applications, this solution, which introduces the E78 series LoRaWAN node modules and LoRaWAN gateways, brings the following advantages:

  1. Wireless Networking, Lowering Wiring Costs
    Wireless deployment eliminates the need for complex wiring, significantly reducing installation and maintenance costs.

  2. Real-Time Data Monitoring, Reducing On-Site Operational Costs
    The solution allows for continuous monitoring of the environment, helping reduce operational costs on the ground.

  3. Increased Crop Yields, Boosting Revenue
    This solution greatly enhances crop yields, increasing farmers' income.

  4. Low Power Consumption and Scalability
    The solution supports low-power networking, making it scalable for mass deployment, and can be easily replicated across different farms, providing flexible applications.

This smart agriculture IoT solution based on LoRaWAN technology addresses the challenges of data collection, transmission, and monitoring in large-scale agricultural environments, offering a sustainable way to optimize crop growth and farm management.