A trial on a peach farm in Algeria has unveiled the potential of the Internet of Things (IoT) to increase yields, reduce the impact on the environment and cut irrigation costs.
Information and communication technology giant Nokia teamed up with local mobile network operator Djezzy and the undisclosed farmer to deploy a smart agriculture solution tailor-made for this use.
“In Africa’s largest country, the agriculture sector contributes 10% of the country’s gross domestic product and almost 4% of the land is dedicated to farming,” says Nokia Worldwide IoT Network Grid (WING) founder and business line head Ankur Bhan.
“The sector is a critical artery to the economy’s heart, yet it faces severe challenges – stringent water restrictions are imposed by government and farmers are plagued by drought.”
Since 2000, Algeria has been implementing modern irrigation systems; however, there is a critical need to further improve productivity.
The trial proved the “limitless potential” of IoT and its immense impact on humanity, he says.
The IoT solution connected the farmer to his crop, driving efficiency, reducing costs and unlocking new income.
The smart technology allows users to track soil humidity, water patterns and salinity through computing devices, sending and receiving data that informs decision-making.
For the trial, soil probes were placed along an irrigation line collecting information about the soil from a 120 cm depth to the surface, while various data, such as soil temperature, humidity, volumetric water content, water evaporation or salinity, were collected and tracked.
“These readings were analysed, and then allowed the farmer to accurately manage irrigation cycles and soil nutrition deployment,” Bhan says.
After a month, the farmer was able to reduce water consumption by 40% on a single irrigation line for one hectare, thereby increasing his revenues by up to 5% a hectare.
This demonstrates a return on investment in fewer than two years for each irrigation line, which, Bhan highlights, is a significant saving for farmers in rural Algeria.
“This farming trial is a compelling story of how IoT contributes to raising income levels for farmers and enables them to further modernise their operations,” he says.
“Smart agriculture-as-a-service is just one example of how Nokia’s first-of-its-kind WING [solution] can provide seamless global IoT services and give access to best-in-class industry partners, offered through flexible, pay-as-you-grow business models.
“When the time comes, the capabilities of fifth-generation technology will push remote sensing to the next level, opening up currently unexplored new revenue streams. “Our mission for WING is to shape the future of agriculture and other industries to create a smarter and more connected world,” he concludes.