Executive Summary

• Sigfox-enabled sensors offer more precise monitoring of weather conditions for better predictions of crop needs.
• Weather monitoring can help cut costs, product higher crop yields, and prevent over or underwatering.
• Sensors allow farmers to make better decisions about pesticides, watering, and preventing disease.

The Challenges Crop Growers and Farmers Face Today

The Available Weather Conditions Monitoring Technology

Setting up proper weather conditions monitoring in this new data-based agronomy industry is one of the most important things farmers can do for their fields, as it helps them address common challenges and better optimize their labor, water usage, and crop health. 

The available data to measure

Thanks to the Internet of Things (IoT), you can now remotely collect data consistently and automatically. Connected sensors collect the important data you want to track. The following data can be collected across all your fields, no matter their proximity. This is then sent to your phone, computer, or tablet through the Sigfox global network and accessed at any time via the digital platform.

• Rainfall: see how much rain has fallen during a set period
• Temperature: track temperature changes over a day, week, month, or longer
• Wind speed and direction: wind metrics let farmers predict oncoming storms more accurately.
• Air pressure: another indicator of upcoming weather (such as a thunderstorm) in your immediate areas
• Humidity: this helps you make better decisions about water usage and pending rain

The available features of weather conditions monitoring IoT technology

In your smart weather monitoring dashboard, you can:

• Configure the number of samples per day
• Track historical measurements over a set date range
• View where sensors are located in your fields
• View smart dashboards with monitored metrics
• Utilize better sensor fleet management tools
• Set open data or secure data options

Community-sourced data for comparison

Not only can you access your own exact data from sensors in your fields, some apps allow you to access weather data from other sources, such as remote rain gauges and stations. This allows you to better track patterns of weather in your area. It also helps you see what other fields with similar crops are faring with the weather.

The Benefits of IoT Weather Condition Monitoring Solutions

The agricultural benefits of measuring weather conditions

By utilizing connected apps, you can do more than just monitor the basic weather conditions metrics as outlined above. This allows you to get better insights from the data analytics provides. For instance, the app can also allow you to better monitor the risk of diseases in crops, including common diseases for wheat, vine, and apple crops.

All available data can also be viewed in the date ranges the user has set, so his or she is able to see the historical trends of data to make patterns.

IoT offers more precise farming

Using sensors in your fields allow more precise with their weather data collection. This makes water use, planting, and maintenance more accurate, thus using less resources. This can help you save time, labor and money.

Technology offers better data

By remote accessing exact data for the weather in your fields, you are able to better see and forecast upcoming rainfall, humidity, temperatures, and freezes. This can help you better prepare your crops for weather conditions like frost, drought, or heavy rainfall.

By monitoring the data and metrics mentioned above, farmers find a wealth of benefits, including higher production quality and quantity. Other benefits include:

• Save costs: smart farming leaders to lower costs on labor, water, and nutrients for crops.
• Save water resources: knowing the exact rainfall for each crop can help optimize watering, thus preventing overwatering, which can impact not only crop health, but the environment.
• Save time and be more organized: being able to view water levels and weather conditions remotely saves the time it takes to physically go out to the fields. In addition, by knowing weather patterns, you are able to better plan out what needs done during the day while avoiding rain or other weather
• Easier to make decisions: Everything from pesticides, seeding, irrigation, and labor can be done more accurately with precise data. You can better predict spraying times by tracking historical weather patterns for the exact area and better anticipate disease risks through weather patterns and conditions.
• More efficient crop monitoring with less human error: automatic monitoring will lead to more accurate data in less time and with less labor.

Sigfox Is the Best Choice for Better Weather Conditions Monitoring

By using Sigfox-enabled sensors, you can harness the internet of things to make real-time accurate decisions about your fields and crops. Sigfox-enabled sensors are available in several countries around the world. They offer secure data collection with a dedicated team dedicated to more successful monitoring of weather conditions and other agricultural factors. The benefits of Sigfox-enabled weather monitoring solutions include:

Smart agriculture with the Internet of Things makes it possible for farmers to better collect weather condition data, which holds a wealth of benefits. Better weather data allows farmers to prevent over or underwatering, crop disease, and unnecessary time spent in the fields. Sensors can collect data for years without maintenance or battery replacement and data is accessible immediately via any connected device 24/7. Sigfox and its partners are dedicated to providing high-quality data collection for smart agriculture and more optimized farming.