When most people think of agriculture, they visualize a farmer driving along in the hot sun on an old-style tractor. While this type of farming is still prevalent in many areas, the production of food has become much bigger business and much more technologically savvy than most people realize.
Here are a few ways that this “growing” industry is using M2M to make it more productive:
RTK (Real time Kinematic) is a term that is becoming more widely known in this space. Automated planting systems and other similar technologies use very advanced GPS co-ordinates to enhance many aspects of the farming experience. Some of the benefits of using technology in this space include: Increased crop yields, reducing fuel usage, more optimized use of existing equipment and more efficient use of water (important in many areas that are experiencing low water levels).
Improving the effectiveness of field monitoring is another way that M2M is helping this space. From detecting water/moisture levels in certain key areas of the acreage to better logging of soil conditions, farmers are better able to react to certain situations. As well, if this information is tied into other systems, such as irrigiation systems, it can further optimize the usage of key items such as fertilizers and water.
Knowing what is in your tanks is an important thing for any business, but it is vitally important to an industry that often has small windows for planting and harvesting. Keeping track of key items such as tank levels can allow farmers to be proactive in their business, preventing unwanted downtime.
RFID systems help you keep track of things much better, ranging from key pieces of equipment, right down to the animals themselves. Many jurisdictions are requiring better tracking of the lifespan of key animals, and RFID helps to automate this process. They also can prevent unwanted mixing of key items, such as grains, preventing unwanted mixing of items
Finally….on-board telematic solutions keep key pieces of running by notifying you as to their current operating environments. You get a better understanding when key maintenance has to be done based on actual hours of usage, not educated guesses.
As always, let us know how we can help with any of your M2M needs!
