Monitoring Soil Moisture With IoT Sensors On Rural Farms
Agriculture sustains the world's population, yet farmers face mounting pressure to maximize the efficiency of scarce resources, particularly water. On average, agriculture consumes 70% of the world's annual water supply, totaling over 2 quadrillion gallons—enough to submerge the entire United States under 2 feet of water.
Managing this vital resource is crucial for farms of all sizes, and ensuring the precise water distribution to the right place at the right time, especially in remote areas with weak cellular connectivity, presents a significant challenge that is now being addressed more effectively through LoRaWAN wireless communications.
Challenge | Ensuring Connectivity Across Large Farms In Remote Areas
Since 2005, a farm in rural Canada has cultivated various crops, including wheat, corn, sugar beets, seed canola, and seed alfalfa. The family-owned farm spans 8,000 acres and has grown significantly since its inception, particularly in its potato fields, which now cover 2,000 acres. The farm has embraced technological advancements, notably in potato production, where it has prioritized staying abreast of the latest innovations.
Within the agriculture industry, emerging technologies such as subsurface sensing, wireless sensors, and soil probes address farmers' pressing needs. However, located in rural southern Alberta, Canada, the farm faces the obstacle of limited cellular connectivity, initially making adopting new communication technologies appear daunting.
Solution | Long Range LoRa Modules Provide Enhanced Connectivity
Despite this challenge, after thorough research, the team discovered a viable solution with single-depth sensors renowned for their effectiveness in wireless soil moisture monitoring for water management solutions. Leveraging a LoRaWAN communications network, the farm tracks soil moisture levels and monitors crop water requirements.
These systems enable farmers to monitor land conditions in real-time and apply water, fertilizer, and other inputs precisely when and where they are required. IoT technology enhances water management by optimizing delivery systems, reducing wasteful inputs, and preventing soil and groundwater pollution.
Central to these solutions are sensors that harness advanced communication protocols, granting farmers easy access to data on water usage. This newfound capability enables farmers to identify areas where water is needed and conservation is feasible, thereby promoting more efficient agricultural practices.
A wireless IoT-based remote system is able to grant farmers real-time insights into the soil moisture levels of their crops. These systems and wireless sensors are an ideal choice for farmers seeking to optimize their agricultural practices with a mission to enhance water management globally by delivering actionable insights into soil moisture.
For communication with and between sensors, the solution relies on MultiTech's xDot® Long Range LoRa® Modules. The xDot® stands out as a secure, CE/FCC/RCM/GITEKI certified, Arm® Mbed™ programmable, low-power RF module that offers long-range, low-bit rate M2M data transmission. These low-power wide area networks effectively extend battery life and range, thereby enhancing connectivity for various connected device applications.
Results | Reliable Data Transmission For Real-Time Soil Monitoring
Despite the challenge of limited cellular connectivity, the LoRaWAN communications network ensured reliable data transmission between sensors and the central monitoring system. This integration of advanced technology has revolutionized agricultural practices at the farm, fostering precision and efficiency in water management. The solution also enabled real-time monitoring of soil moisture levels and crop water requirements, allowing for efficient management of water usage.
Similarly, water usage records can now provide valuable insights into water consumption patterns, allowing the farm to anticipate optimizing irrigation practices across the farm's 2,000 acres of potato fields.
Benefits | Cost Savings, Scalability, And Data-Driven Decision Making
Enhanced Efficiency
Farmers can optimize water usage, ensuring that crops receive the right amount of water at the right time.
Cost Savings
By reducing water wastage and improving irrigation practices, the farm achieved cost savings associated with water usage.
Data-Driven Decision Making
Scalability
About MCA and Our CNS Team
MCA is one of the largest and most trusted integrators in the United States, offering world-class voice, data, and security solutions that enhance the quality, safety, and productivity of customers, operations, and lives. More than 65,000 customers trust MCA to provide carefully researched solutions for a safe, secure, and more efficient workplace.
Our Cellular Networking Solutions (CNS) team (formerly known as USAT) is made up of certified experts in designing and deploying fixed and mobile wireless data connectivity solutions for public and private enterprises nationwide - complete with implementation, training, proof of concept (POC), system auditing, and on-site RF surveying services with optional engineering maintenance contracts.
Our extensive Semtech catalog of world-class routers, gateways, and software designed for remote monitoring and management in even the harshest environments allows us to deliver a full suite of reliable technologies capped with a service-first approach.
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