How Connectivity in Agriculture Enables Farmland Management & Expansion

As farming operations become more data driven—soil, crops, livestock, weather, etc.—farmers have an increasing need for advanced digital tools to turn those data into valuable, actionable insights. 

However, only 25% of U.S. farms run on connected equipment, and those that do use 2G or 3G networks that telecom companies plan to dismantle in the near future, or low-band Internet of Things (IoT) networks that are complex and expensive to set up. Either way, these networks can support only a limited number of devices. 

Fortunately, device and hardware costs are dropping rapidly, enabling broader access to the technologies needed to implement connectivity and IoT in farming. This presents an exciting opportunity for farmers to make the full use of the data at their disposal and more efficiently manage their operations. 

Not only will this approach enable farmers to more efficiently manage their current farmland operations, but it will expand their opportunities by enabling them to pick up new ground. 

Top connectivity challenges facing the agriculture industry

There are two broad connectivity challenges facing the agriculture industry:

1. Lack of available infrastructure to enable use of connectivity in farming

2. Lack of strong business cases for adopting of solutions in areas where connectivity already exists

With regard to the first challenge, the gap is closing rapidly. According to McKinsey, by 2030 advanced connectivity infrastructure will cover roughly 80% of the world’s rural areas. 

As such, the challenge for the agriculture industry to face in the coming years isn’t the spread of infrastructure. Rather, it’s the adoption of value-add use cases that can justify business investment within the sector. 

What capabilities can connectivity offer the agriculture industry?

In terms of technical capabilities, there are three primary advantages connectivity offers within agriculture. Each of these capabilities can be applied to a number of use cases: 

• Internet of Things (IoT). Low-power networks and cheaper sensors will enable a scaling up of connected agriculture equipment and devices, enabling precision irrigation of crops, crop and livestock monitoring, and tracking equipment use to drive maximum efficiency. 

• Operational confidence. Ultra Low latency and improved connection stability enables farmers to run applications that demand reliability and responsiveness, and continually monitor their effective use. 

• Near-global coverage. As low earth orbit (LEO) satellites reach their potential, even the most rural areas will have access to digitization, enabling farmers to manage geographically disparate fields in a coherent, unified manner. 

Use cases for connectivity in agriculture 

Now let’s move from technical capabilities to value-add use cases. Here are some of the ways that connectivity in agriculture can make farmers’ lives and work that much more interesting. 

Crop monitoring

Connectivity enables farmers to improve the observation and care of crops. By integrating weather data, irrigation and applications, and other systems, farmers can optimize and improve resource use, not to mention boosting yields by accurately identifying and predicting soil and crop deficiencies in real time. 

Here are some ways these applications can be realized in the field:

• Soil monitoring sensors can communicate via LPWAN, directing sprinklers to adjust water and nutrient application in response to soil problems

• Delivering imagery from remote corners of fields to provide early warnings for disease or pests

• Smart monitoring of crops for quality characteristics to maximize revenue from crops and optimize the harvesting window

Livestock monitoring

Preventing disease outbreaks and identifying animals in distress is a critical challenge large-scale livestock farmers face, especially when animals live in close quarters. A number of connected technologies, such as chips and body temperatures, can measure temperature, pulse, and blood pressure to detect illnesses earlier. 

Likewise, environmental sensors can trigger automatic adjustments in ventilation or heating in barns, reducing stress and improving animal health. 

Building and equipment management

Sensors to monitor conditions within buildings and related equipment can lead to multiple cost savings among farmers:

• Monitoring warehouse and silo levels to trigger automatic reordering, reducing inventory costs

• Optimizing storage conditions for inputs to increase their shelf life

• Reducing energy consumption by monitoring conditions and usage of buildings and equipment

• Automated predictive maintenance systems to decrease equipment repair costs and extend their life

Investments needed to achieve connectivity in agriculture

Given the benefits available to farmers through connected applications, what changes need to happen to actually make these outcomes accessible? There are three broad categories of investment to consider: 

• Telco-driven deployment. Despite the challenging economics of building high-bandwidth rural networks, telcos can benefit from increased demand for their bandwidth within rural areas, especially as farmers increasingly embrace connected applications and integrated solutions.

• Provider-driven deployment. Input providers are well-positioned to drive connectivity-related investments, namely due to theirs existing industry knowledge and relationships. By partnering with telcos or LPWAN businesses, they can drive the development of rural connectivity networks, then support farmers with business models that integrate connected technology and product and decision support.

• Owner-driven deployment. Farmland owners, as well as the farmers leasing their land, can invest in development within their own properties. While the initial investment may seem steep, a plan to maximize ROI over a short time frame can help to justify the initial costs. However, owners are limited in what they can accomplish without broader infrastructure support. 

How connectivity in agriculture enables farmland management and expansion

We’ve already talked about how connectivity in agriculture helps farmers better and more efficiently manage the land they currently operate. However, connectivity also enables farmers to pick up new ground and expand their current farmland operation:

• Freeing up the farmer from time-consuming observation and monitoring tasks, enabling them to effectively manage more land

• Expanding the farmer’s potential geographic footprint, as they can monitor and manage land from afar

• Maximizing the productivity of the land, thereby offsetting additional costs incurred from picking up new ground

Increased connectivity in agriculture is key for farmers who want to expand their operation without incurring more overhead. So if you want to pick up new ground, now is a great time do it.

Check local farmland listings on the CommonGround marketplace today.