Background
Water management greatly benefits agriculture in crop health, yield maximization, and operational cost reduction. However, many farmers can depend on the traditional methods of irrigation whereby scheduled watering or manual checks of the soil are carried out. Recognizing this challenge, Golioth developed an IoT-enabled soil moisture monitoring solution, capable of letting the farms monitor key environmental metrics for any chosen type of optimization of irrigation practices from anywhere—especially valuable for large farms, greenhouses, and remote locations with difficult access.
Solution
Golioth's soil moisture monitoring system combines IoT technology with real-time sensors for soil moisture, temperature, and light to keep the data flowing back to the Golioth cloud platform. Powered by the Nordic nRF9160 LTE-M/NB-IoT module, and supported by industry-grade sensors from MikroE and Bosch, devices can run the gamut from wide-open fields to high-tech greenhouse operations.
Farmers can receive real-time data from the Golioth cloud on soil and weather conditions for detailed changes in irrigation. The system has a rugged ABS enclosure that endures different kinds of climates, and its low-power setup provides long-term deployment with minimal maintenance required. Its modular, open-source design is highly customizable, where different parts can be tampered with based on particular crops or environmental conditions.
Who Benefits?
It is particularly useful for:
1. Small and organic farms: farms without abundant water resources need not waste it on superfluous irrigation; rather, they can make full use of every drop to save resources and ensure sustainability.
2. Large-scale agribusiness: real-time soil data in greater operations can help big-time water savings and higher productivity by reducing the need for manual monitoring.
3. Greenhouse managers: greenhouses can obtain more detailed humidity and light level data to keep the soil at an ideal stage of growth for a crop being grown in a controlled environment.
Key Benefits
- Optimized Water Usage: with correct soil moisture insight, farmers could only use water when needed, thus saving water and the cost associated with it.
- Enhanced Crop Health: increased, precise information about environmental parameters enables proactive management, which helps a farmer to avoid circumstances that could lead to the deterioration of crops, thereby assuring better yields.
- Remote Monitoring: cellular connectivity opens up insight into the fields from any point; thus, it is easier to deal with multiple locations or farms that are situated in climatic zones difficult for humans to reach.
Results and Impact
For farmers using precision agriculture, Golioth's soil moisture solution simplifies collecting data, amplifies resource efficiency, and supports their sustainability goals. Users report measurable cost savings because of decreased crop loss risk and improved yields owing to better-informed irrigation practices. With Golioth, a practical tool for real-time agricultural management is found, enabling farmers to tackle today's resource challenges with a modern, adaptable approach toward the conservation of water and care of crops.
This solution is one step toward precision farming, where resources are more easily and accurately managed, keeping pace with the evolving needs for sustainable agriculture.