IoT device to Precision Agriculture in a Corn Crop

Traditionally, farmers have relied on their intuition and experience to carry out different field tasks following a predefined schedule given by experience, which is why most farmers apply water and nutrients without having an accurate measure of the quantity necessary for the needs of the crop. Currently, technologies related to the Internet of Things (IoT) allow implementations so that these types of tasks in agriculture are more efficient and generate excellent performance. By implementing wireless sensor networks that allow soil conditions to collect data in real-time, it is possible to make the correct decisions according to the needs of the crop. This technique is called precision agriculture. There is a set of technologies to optimize agricultural production by managing crop conditions, with a more precise application of inputs such as pesticides, herbicides, and fertilizers helping to reduce costs and obtain higher yields while achieving an environmentally friendly operation. This work presents the design and validation of a low-cost IoT device for monitoring and controlling a corn crop as part of a management based on precision agriculture. The device has been designed to measure the environment's temperature and relative humidity, as well as the soil's humidity and pH. The validation was realized on a corn crop in the State of Jalisco, Mexico, and the results demonstrate a higher crop yield.