The Role of IoT (Internet of Things) Technologies in enhancing precision Agriculture Practices for food security in Nigeria

Abstract

The growing demand for food in terms of quality and quantity has increased the need for industrialization and intensification in the agriculture field. Internet of Things (IoT) is a highly promising technology that is offering many innovative solutions to modernize the agriculture sector.  The Internet of Things (IOT) has become important to almost every area of life due to the huge advantages it possesses. Nigeria currently is eager to employ various IOT applications to ease the difficulties farmers encounter by using smart farming to usher in precision Agriculture. This is very necessary as majority of Nigerian populace depend hugely on agriculture. The aim of the study was to assess the role of IoT Technologies to enhance precision agriculture and enjoy the benefits, including food security in Nigeria.  It is important that all farm management practices will be meticulously planned, monitored, and controlled before planting to storage and distribution stage using precise Agritech. Precision Agriculture in Nigeria is an unavoidable farming system for Nigeria farmers to efficiently manage their farm, thereby combating the issue of food security as the nation’s population increases daily, and with the prediction that the world’s population is expected to climax 9.8 billion by 2050.

The methodology adopted is a desk methodology. This is because it involves collection of secondary data. Data is basically collected from existing resources preferably because of its low cost advantage as compared to a field research. The study indicated that precision agriculture technologies play a crucial role in enhancing farm productivity by enabling more efficient and effective farming practices. These technologies, which include GPS (Global Positioning System)-guided equipment, remote sensing, and data analysis, allow farmers to precisely monitor and manage their crops and soil. By using GPS and GIS (Geographic Information Systems), farmers can create detailed maps of their fields, identifying variations in soil types and nutrient levels. Remote sensing technologies, such as drones and satellites, provide real-time data on crop health, helping to detect issues like pest infestations and water stress.  IoT-based agricultural monitoring solutions have been identified based on the sub-domains to which they belong. The identified sub-domains are soil monitoring, air monitoring, temperature monitoring, water monitoring, disease monitoring, location monitoring, environmental conditions monitoring, pest monitoring, and fertilization monitoring. Further, the IoT paradigm improves human interaction in the physical world through low-cost electronic devices and communication protocols. IoT also monitors different environmental conditions to create dense and real-time maps of noise level, air, water pollution, temperature, and damaging radiations. Data collected from these different environmental parameters by the devices is transmitted to the user by trigger alerts or sending recommendations to authorities via messages.

Definition of Concepts

Smart Farming: This can be referred to as the application of modern information and communication technologies techniques/skills into agriculture in order to achieve higher productivity [3]. Smart farming or smart agriculture can provide the farmer with daily updates with respect to the soil, crop health, and energy consumption level within the farm [31].

Smart Irrigation: It uses controllers to monitor weather and soil conditions, state of evaporation and plant healthiness while adjusting watering schedules to maintain and moderate the required water on a smart farm. Smart irrigation is targeted of agricultural crops all year round [23].

Livestock Detection Management: IOT is used to track the location of livestock, identify the livestock, check for their healthiness, locations and when properly deployed, it can solve the herders/farmers clashes [17].

Weather Monitoring: This involves the systematic approach of measuring the atmosphere and climate, including variables such as temperature, moisture, wind velocity and barometric pressure using IOT [32].

Nutrient Management: This involves the smart monitoring of soil nutrients level using IOT for effective crop production [20].

Machines for Routine Operations: This involves optimization of routes for drivers’ assistance and reducing the harvest and treatment of crops [4].

PA (Precision Agriculture): is a new advanced method in which farmers provide optimized inputs such as water and fertilizer to enhance productivity, quality, and yield [5]

Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC). IPC is the global standard for measuring food insecurity of hunger. The different phases of hunger using this scale include (IPC Phase1,2,3,4 and 5)[29]