Abstract
Agriculture is considered a hotspot for wireless sensor network (WSN) facilities as they could potentially contribute towards improving on-farm management and food crop yields. This study proposes six designs of unmanned aerial system (UAS)-enabled data ferries with the intent of communicating with stationary sensor node stations in maize. Based on selection criteria and constraints, a proposed UAS data ferrying design was shortlisted from which a field experiment was conducted for two growing seasons to investigate the adoptability of the selected design along with an established WSN system. A data ferry platform comprised of a transceiver radio, a mini-laptop, and a battery was constructed and mounted on the UAS. Real-time monitoring of soil and temperature parameters was enabled through the node stations with data retrieved by the UAS data ferrying. The design was validated by establishing communication at different heights (31 m, 61 m, and 122 m) and lateral distances (0 m, 38 m, and 76 m) from the node stations. The communication success rate (CSR) was higher at a height of 31 m and within a lateral distance of 38 m from the node station. Lower communication was accredited to potential interference from the maize canopy and water losses from the maize canopy.
Highlights
Wireless communication technology has contributed towards the advancement of precision agriculture by providing alternatives to gather and process information [1] which can improve field crop production efficiency and profitability along with natural resources conservation
Soil moisture and crop canopy temperature data from stationary sensor node stations were transmitted from the secondary radio to the unmanned aerial system (UAS) data ferry transceiver radio
The current study proposes a UAS-enabled data ferrying system that uses narrow water and plant status in an agricultural setting, building on previously published work on band-internet of things technology, i.e., of thesoil
Summary
Wireless communication technology has contributed towards the advancement of precision agriculture by providing alternatives to gather and process information [1] which can improve field crop production efficiency and profitability along with natural resources conservation. The technology has contributed to the implementation of wireless sensor networks (WSNs), a compilation of several nodes, with each node being a low-power and low-cost device equipped with one or more sensors, a processor, memory, a power supply, and a transceiver [2]. The potential applications of WSNs as cost-effective processes to improve agricultural resource management have been reported: irrigation management systems [3], farming systems monitoring [4–6], pest 4.0/). The most promising applications for WSN in precision agriculture are irrigation management, farming monitoring, disease control, and fertilizer accuracy [15]. Innovations and creativity in WSN design are needed to be effectively used in agricultural applications
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
