AI set to bring changes in agriculture sector
Source: The Sangai Express / Konsam Samita

Imphal, April 10 2025: Ever heard of the Internet of Things in agriculture? Well, this has brought about a revolution in the agriculture sector, saving resources and enhancing productivity.

The Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture or Agri-IoT, often referred to as Smart Farming or Precision Agriculture, is the use of IoT devices, sensors, drones etc, and automation to optimise farming processes.

These connected devices including sensors collect and analyse data, enabling farmers to optimise resource usage, enhance productivity, and make data-driven decisions.

AI set to bring changes in agriculture sector

A significant application of Artificial Intelligence (AI), Agri-IoT enables farmers to monitor crops and soil health better with great ease, get weather forecasts, manage irrigation, prevent /control infestation of pests, insects and diseases, while minimising wastage of resources and enhancing yield.

Agri-IoT is a boon to farmers in many ways, and its application in farming could revolutionise farming here, says Er Dinesh Thokchom, Young Professional-I, Horticulture Department, Precision Farming Development Centre-CAU, Imphal Centre.

Explaining Agri IoT installed at the research farm of College of Agriculture, Dinesh says some farmers have also started adopting smart farming.

A farmer in Maklang has recently installed IoT devices on his farm, he says.

The devices are fitted on an 8-feet pole.

The entire system consists of a memory chip, sim card, and various components including sensors.

A solar is also installed to generate power for the system.

The whole system can be operated remotely using a smartphone.

Through the system, Dinesh says, a farmer gets weather forecasts for the next 7 days on his mobile phone.

Through the smartphone, the farmer can also monitor the crops for disease, temperature, humidity, soil health and a bunch of other data.

The Agri IoT enables real-time monitoring of crops and predicting onset of diseases to alert farmers by sending notifications on the phone.

A leaf sensor, which is included in the system, helps farmers detect growth of fungus on the leaves, and other diseases.

The system has a set of pre-installed data on various crops which help farmers monitor the stages of growth, Dinesh says.

The Agri-IoT system can also be integrated with drones for mapping, monitoring and other applications.

Drones are being used in States like Punjab and other big agricultural States, Dinesh says.

On optimisation of resources, Dinesh says the Agri-IoT is able to irrigate crops remotely and efficiently.

Through the use of smartphones, farmers can set timers for automatic irrigation, Dinesh says.

While the use of Agri-IoT has many benefits as it optimises resources and enhances productivity, the only disadvantage is that the devices are costly, sys Dinesh.

A farmer needs capital to install the devices.

Once installed, it would cut the cost in other aspects of farming, he says.

Key applications of Agri-IoT:

Precision farming: The IoT sensors provide real-time data about soil moisture, temperature, and nutrient levels, enabling farmers to make precise decisions about irrigation, fertilization, and pest control

Crop monitoring: It monitors crop health, detect diseases or pests

Resource optimisation: it helps farmers optimise the use of water, fertilizers, and pesticides, reducing waste and enhancing productivity

Automation: It automates tasks including irrigation, harvesting, saving time and labour

By optimising resource use and reducing waste, Agri-IoT contributes to sustainable farming practices.

(This article was written under CAU Imphal's 5th Scientific Journalism Programme on "Artificial Intelligence and it's uses") .