Agricultural monitoring and control system based on the Internet of things Main buyer country

To be honest, when you hear aboutinternet of thingsin the agricultural sector, the first thing that comes to mind is beautiful presentations with ideal graphs and promises of “full automation?”. But in reality, especially when working with our main customers from Central Asia and Eastern Europe, it all comes down to three things: the reliability of the sensors in field conditions, adaptation to local crops (not only wheat, but also cotton, grapes) and simplicity of the interface for agronomists who may not be ready for complex systems. We are inShandong Linyao Intelligent Agriculture Technology Co.,LtdAfter several unsuccessful implementations, we realized that the key is not “smart?” technologies in themselves, but in how they are integrated into the real work processes of farms.

Why classical systems don't always work

Previously, we installed standard complexes - soil moisture sensors, weather stations, irrigation controllers. It would seem that everything is according to the textbook. But in Kazakhstan, for example, they were faced with the fact that local soils (especially saline ones) distort sensor readings. We had to recalibrate the equipment on the spot, taking into account the electrical conductivity of the soil. This is the one that is not obvious? a problem that is not written about in the specifications.

Another point is energy supply. In remote fields there is often no stable electricity, and solar panels are covered with snow in winter. We tried different battery solutions, but ultimately ended up with hybrid systems with backup sources. By the way, we described part of this experience on the websitehttps://www.lyzhihuinongye.ruin the section about projects - there are real cases from Uzbekistan.

And yes, it is important:monitoring- this is not only data collection, but also their “cleaning”. Sensors can fail due to sudden temperature changes, and if filtering is not adjusted, the system will begin to make false decisions. Once the field was almost flooded due to an erroneous signal about drought - well, the agronomist noticed in time.

How we build a management system for different cultures

Let's take vineyards in Moldova. There, it is not just soil moisture that is critical, but the microclimate in the area of ​​the bunches - temperature, dew point, risk of fungal diseases. We have added tocontrol systemdisease forecasting module based on data from sensors and local meteorological statistics. This is not ?artificial intelligence? from advertising, but a rather simple model, but it has already reduced fungicide treatment by 15–20%.

For cotton fields in Uzbekistan, the approach to irrigation had to be completely reconsidered. The local farmers have been using flooding for decades, and it has been difficult to convince them. We didn't just putautomatic equipment, but conducted a series of demonstrations on test plots, showing water savings and increased yields. The key turned out to be remote control of the valves - the operator could control irrigation from the tablet without traveling around dozens of hectares.

By the way, about valves: our engineers spent a long time choosing between electromagnetic and hydraulic models. We settled on the latter - they are less sensitive to water pollution, which is important for canals with a large amount of suspended matter. Such nuances are rarely discussed at conferences, but they determine the success of implementation.

Integration with existing infrastructure

Many suppliers try to sell “turnkey”, but ignore the equipment already operating on farms. We are inShandong Lingyao Co.,LtdInitially, we included the possibility of docking with common controllers from other manufacturers - for example, for drip irrigation. This reduces the cost of modernization and simplifies the transition for farmers.

It was especially difficult in the project onsmart agricultural parksin Russia. Monitoring systems from another vendor were already installed there, but with a closed protocol. We had to develop a gateway for data conversion - it took an extra three months, but the client did not lose his previous investments.

Another lesson: do not overload the system with functions. At first we tried to introduce “smart” lighting and heating of greenhouses in one complex, but this created an excessive load on the network and complicated the interface. We now offer a modular approach - basicmonitoringplus options on request.

Communication and data problems

In rural areas there is often no stable 4G, and there is nothing to say about wired Internet. We tested LoRaWAN, NB-IoT and even satellite modems. The latter are expensive, but for remote pastures in Mongolia it was the only option. In most cases, LoRa with repeaters is enough - a range of up to 15 km in an open field.

The most unpleasant thing is when there is a connection, but the data is lost due to interference. There was a case in Crimea, where the radio channel was jammed by military installations. We had to reconfigure frequencies and add encryption - not so much for security, but for stability.

We are now experimenting with mesh networks between sensors - this reduces dependence on base stations. It’s still a little damp, but it looks promising for large fields. By the way, we use some of these developments in projectshigh quality agricultural fields- where accuracy is important, not mass production.

Economics of implementation: what really pays off

People often ask why spend money oninternet of things, if you can hire more workers. But in cotton growing, automation of irrigation pays for itself in 2–3 seasons due to saving water and fertilizers. We consider not only the cost of equipment, but also the reduction in labor costs - for example, one operator can manage the irrigation of 500 hectares instead of 50.

An interesting case was with a water filtration system in Tajikistan. Initially, it was installed to protect drip lines, but it turned out that clean water also reduces wear on the pumps. This became an additional argument for the client.

An important point: we do not hide thatagricultural systemrequires maintenance. Sensors need to be cleaned, software updated, and staff trained. That’s why we include a year of technical support in our contracts—this reduces risks for both us and the client. Details can be found in the company description on our website - we specialize in the full cycle: from design to construction.

What ultimately works and what doesn’t

Among the successful ones: modular systems that can be expanded gradually; hybrid power supplies; simple web interface without any bells and whistles. Among the failures were attempts to introduce complex yield forecasting algorithms (agronomists did not trust “black boxes?”) and drones for monitoring (expensive and difficult to maintain).

Now the focus is shifting to predictive analytics - not “what is happening?”, but “what will happen?”. But again, without fanaticism. Simple notifications like ?probability of frost in 48 hours - 70%? more useful than beautiful 3D maps.

To summarize:buyer's main countryFor us, this is not just a market, but a testing ground. Each project forces us to reconsider our approaches. And yes, there are no ideal systems - there are those that solve specific problems of a particular farm. As they say, simplicity that works is better than complexity that is only on paper.