Sensors Work in Agriculture: Where Are We? What Are the Prospects?

Abstract

The increased food requirement puts intense pressure on the agriculture community to grow more from the same resources resulting in people leaving the farming business. This happened not exclusively due to the industrial pressure to produce more but to the lack of technology adoption among growers. The use of the sensor in agriculture is not new, but its adoption among agriculture producers is a challenge for industry and scientists. This study aimed to determine sensors used in agricultural fields with challenges and prospects. The study found that sensors have successfully been used at the industry level with highly skilled labor; however, their adoption is challenging in rural agriculture systems due to the lack of a support system. The study found that the sensors used in predicting crop parameters, yield, quality, insect attacks, leaf damage, and several plants are crucial parameters to study. Sensors, particularly ground-based active optical sensors, have performed well while developing algorithms where soil parameters, environmental factors, and sensors have successfully predicted crop yield and quality.