What IoT sensors are used in agriculture?

Soil moisture sensors, temperature sensors, weather stations, GPS trackers for livestock, fill level sensors, and air quality sensors for greenhouses.

How does IoT help with water scarcity?

Smart irrigation systems measure soil moisture in real-time and only water where and when needed – saving up to 30% water.

Which wireless technology is suitable for agricultural IoT applications?

LoRaWAN is ideal for agriculture: long range (up to 15 km), low cost, years of battery life, and penetration even in barns and cellars.

IoT in Agriculture: Smart Farming Use Cases & Real-World Examples

Modern farmers face enormous challenges. Climate change leads to more frequent extreme weather events like droughts, late frosts, or heavy rain. At the same time, the world population is growing – projections estimate 9.7 billion people by 2050. And then there's the labor shortage in rural areas.

The Internet of Things (IoT) offers solutions to these problems. In this article, we show concrete use cases and real-world examples.

The Challenges of Modern Agriculture
How IoT Solves These Problems
Concrete Use Cases
Real-World Examples
The Right Technology: LoRaWAN for Agriculture
Implement Smart Farming
Sources

The Challenges of Modern Agriculture

Climate Change and Extreme Weather

Droughts, late frosts, heavy rain – harvests become unpredictable. Farmers need early warning systems and the ability to react quickly.

Resource Scarcity

Water must be used more efficiently, fertilizer and pesticide use must be reduced. Rising operating costs for fuel and fertilizer put pressure on margins.

Labor Shortage

Fewer and fewer people work in agriculture. Automation is no longer an option – it's becoming a necessity.

How IoT Solves These Problems

Connected sensors and devices enable data-driven agriculture. Information is collected and analyzed in real-time – from soil temperature and moisture to weather data to livestock health.

The Benefits:

Informed decisions through transparent data
Automated processes – irrigation starts automatically during drought
Resource efficiency – water and fertilizer only where needed
Early warning systems – detect risks before damage occurs
Mechanization – compensate for labor shortages

Concrete Use Cases

1. Soil Moisture Monitoring & Smart Irrigation

IoT sensors in the field continuously measure soil moisture. This real-time data enables demand-based irrigation: plants receive exactly the right amount of water at the right time.

Result: Less water waste, no drought stress, higher yields.

2. Greenhouse Climate Control

In smart greenhouses, networked sensors and actuators automatically regulate:

Temperature
Humidity
Irrigation
Lighting

This maintains optimal growing conditions at all times – with lower energy consumption and less manual effort.

3. Livestock Tracking & Animal Health

Wearables like collars or ear tags capture:

Location (GPS tracking)
Activity and feeding behavior
Body temperature

Anomalies are automatically reported to the farmer. Diseases or injuries can be detected early.

4. Fertilizer Optimization

Soil sensors, weather stations, and drones analyze:

Soil quality and nutrient content
Plant health
Pest infestation

The system determines exactly where and when fertilizer or pesticides are needed – and where not. This saves resources and protects the environment.

5. Predictive Maintenance for Farm Equipment

Modern tractors, combine harvesters, and milking robots continuously deliver telemetry data. The system detects maintenance needs or wear before a breakdown in the field.

Result: Timely repairs, no expensive machine failures during harvest.

Real-World Examples

Agvolution & Vodafone (Germany)

In Rhineland-Palatinate, over 100 networked sensors protect around 13,500 hectares of farmland from weather damage. An AI-powered system alerts farmers via app to late frost or drought and recommends targeted irrigation measures.

→ Vodafone Newsroom: Digital Agriculture

AGCO Fendt (Europe)

The farm equipment manufacturer connects tractors and harvesters with farmers' farm management software. Job data, guidance data, and machine data are seamlessly exchanged – saving work time and enabling optimized application of resources.

→ Case Study: AGCO Fendt Cloud Service

Philips City Farming (Netherlands)

In container greenhouses, sensors and LED lighting fully automatically regulate growth. The result: up to 20x yield per square meter with 90% less water consumption through closed water cycles.

→ Landwirt Center: Digitalization in Agriculture

Keners Smart Farming (Czech Republic)

The company uses ThingsBoard to centrally process data from fields, greenhouses, and the environment. Soil sensors, weather stations, and devices are monitored and controlled via customized dashboards.

→ ThingsBoard Case Study: Keners

The Right Technology: LoRaWAN for Agriculture

LoRaWAN has established itself as the ideal wireless technology for agricultural IoT applications:

Long range – up to 15 km in open field
Low cost – inexpensive sensors and no cellular contract needed
Long battery life – 5-10 years without battery replacement
Good penetration – works even in barns, cellars, and silos

Implement Smart Farming

Planning connected sensors for your agricultural operation? merkaio guides you from requirements analysis to ongoing operations – technology selection, architecture, implementation, and operations.

Discuss your project →

Agriculture & IoT: How Connected Technology Transforms Modern Farming

Table of Contents