Networked agriculture

Agriculture faces the challenge of controlling irrigation so that water is not wasted. Also the appropriate amount of fertilizer is an important factor, as the quality of the crop decreases with an over-fertilization.


SMS from the cow


M2M solutions, such as RANGER_agri from the American telecommunications partner Atlantik Elektronik, help farmers to provide the right amount of water and fertilizer. The device is equipped with different sensors. These determine parameters such as soil moisture, temperature or pH. A wireless unit with a M2M SIM card transmits the measured data to a server via the Telekom mobile network.


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The user can access the data in real time via a web portal. RANGER_agri is also attached to each irrigation valve and allows remote control. Farmers can control the amount of water and fertilizer so easily. The system can also operate completely autonomously on the basis of the sensor data. Farmers lower their water consumption by an average of 30 to 50 percent. However, as far as costs are concerned, the savings in the area of ​​fertilizers are still significantly higher.


Supply for the silo


Economic success also promises M2M solutions in livestock farming - for example in the breeding of a cow herd. The greatest challenge is to recognize the phases of the rutting - the time when an animal can become pregnant. In the breed the movement activity of the animals increases. In order to capture the indications, farmers would have to observe all the animals of a herd day and night.


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The HeatPhone helps the farmer to miss the readiness of a cow. The solution from the French IT company Medria consists of collars for the cows and a data collector. Sensors in the neckband measure the vital data of the cow and send this information to the data collector.


This transmits the data via the mobile network to a server. As soon as a cow moves significantly more than usual, the system sends an SMS to the farmer, the insemination technician and the veterinarian. In addition to the time relief, the solution is also economically viable. As the farmer hardly misses a breed, the reproduction rate of his flock increases.


Farmers can also expand the modular M2M solution. With VelPhone, the telecom partner Medria offers another component, which alerts the farmer before the birth of a calf. The SanPhone also records the cows' food intake to diagnose diseases at an early stage.


Solutions for silo monitoring also promise this. So that the silos always have enough feed, the farmer must regularly check the filling level and, if necessary, place an order with his supplier. This recurring work costs him a lot of time every day.


For this reason, some farmers already use an M2M solution, which controls the filling level of the silo and automatically orders replenishment. A level sensor is installed inside the silo. It regularly measures the amount of feed still available and passes on the data to the programmable mobile radio router of the Telekom partner INSYS icom.


This collects the data and sends the level regularly to a server. The feed supplier can retrieve the silo fill levels from there via their ERP or commodity management system and adapt their exports to the needs of the farmer.


If the solution is equipped with a temperature and humidity sensor, it also prevents the deterioration of the silo contents by rotting bacteria or fungal attack. The system informs the farmer automatically if the temperature and humidity in the silo exceed certain limits. The farmer then has to provide a suitable climate in the silo by ventilating.


These solutions already facilitate the life and work of some farmers today. In the future there could be more. The problem: farmers often lack the time to find the right solution in the broad offer. The Telekom offers farmers, among other things, the M2M volume a central cross-manufacturer e-commerce platform, which offers industry-specific M2M solutions from all over the world.