Telefonica said it has joined forces with specialist R&D company Vertical Green to develop an agricultural system that uses cloud-connected sensors to enable remote-controlled crop harvesting.
The platform is based on obtaining data on temperature, humidity and lighting collected via high-precision Internet of Things (IoT) sensors placed in the crops.
The devices are connected to central servers through data networks managed from Telefonica IoT platform, Kite, to accurately measure the nutrients, photosynthetic radiation, irrigation and atmospheric values necessary for each crop. A database is then used to help improve production and ensure the best growth conditions without the need to use fertilisers or monitor weather forecasts.
The system uses Telefonica’s narrow band IoT network and IoT sensorisation to ensure that the parameters defined by farmers are met. It also incorporates a new RHPA (Rotating High Pressure Aeroponic Irrigation) system, which favours the use of space, increases production by 40 percent and reduces water consumption by 95 percent, said the partners.
The platform is already being used in a pilot project at Onubafruit, one of the leading strawberry producers in Europe, to grow strawberries in a high-density indoor space.
Source: Telecompaper