Challenges and opportunities for IoT applications in smart agriculture

Abstract

This paper presents an overview about Digital Agriculture and specifically about Internet of Things (IoT) foragriculture. The potential for IoT solutions is manifold, and there are very high hopes pinned on this. It is expected that IoTcould help in addressing the global challenges of poverty, malnutrition and environment degradation. This paper alsooutlines the opportunities for IoT application in digital/ smart agriculture and the current challenges in its wider adoption.The IoT in agriculture can help in enhancing productivity, profitability of farmers. The technology can also help in saving theenvironment. The potential is manifold and could easily transform and recast the lives of smallholder farmers. However, thetechnology solutions need to be cheaper, reliable, and simple to use for smallholder farmers. Startup companies should adoptnewer and innovative business models to deploy the solutions. The general awareness on the usefulness and evidence on thereturn of investment on IoTs should be demonstrated to farmers for wider adoption.