Precision agriculture and environmental monitoring technology

Improve productivity, efficiency, safety, and resource utilization


Determining the best technologies to meet remote monitoring, environmental monitoring, data collection, geolocation and automation needs for agriculture can take quite a bit of research and time. We looked into what farming, agtech and similar companies were doing with SparkFun parts and consolidated that information to support others.

In the last several years, technology to support agriculture has advanced at a rapid pace and is only expected to continue growing. Given the varied needs and the often remote and expansive nature of agtech, the tools needed can vary greatly. Whether you are implementing a DIY solution for long-range communication and data collection, or leading a company that is building complete systems for environmental monitoring, the options can be overwhelming.


Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring

When connecting sensors across miles of land to monitor machinery, livestock or crops, choosing the best type of wireless communication and networking for your needs can be tricky. The most important place to start is to narrow down your requirements - operating range, data transmission speed, and power consumption are critical elements. These will help you determine what tech will best support you; LoRa®, LTE, Wifi and Bluetooth are just some of the options.

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Environmental monitoring and data collection

Using sensors for monitoring and data collection can help ensure the right temperature and humidity in a greenhouse, provide alerts if machinery is not working right, or make sure air quality is where it needs to be. There are thousands of sensor options out there - knowing exactly what you want from them is a great place to start. There are some great combo sensors, as well as those specific to temperature, moisture, light, motion...you name it.

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Remote Monitoring
Remote Monitoring

Geolocation

With millimeter accuracy, GPS/GNSS is having a tremendous impact on precision agriculture; likewise, the information available through RFID tags is changing the management of animals and products. From accurately surveying a field in preparation for planting, to tracking a herd in open range, to being able to pinpoint the location of machinery - this emerging technology can save tremendous time, effort and money.

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Automation and machine learning

Collecting data is one thing; making sense of and using the data is another. Building systems that utilize machine learning to synthesize sensor data can save a lot of time and bring the most relevant findings to the surface. From an irrigation system that only waters plants that need it, to autonomous micro-tractors that can navigate themselves around a field, the possibilities for streamlining resources and reducing waste are limitless.

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Remote Monitoring

Bring your idea to life!

Have an idea but need some help making it a reality? We can help. From recommending the best hardware for your needs, to designing a board based on your specifications, to sourcing a specific module, our value-added sales team helps bridge the gap between our current offerings and your needs. Please fill out the form for more information.

Ag tech case studies - from precision agriculture, to machine learning, to tracking with RFID


Tracking Possums with RFID

Custom Farming Solution

Long-range communication to support autonomous micro-tractors.

Tech used: Automation Optical Inspection Sensor

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Tracking Possums with RFID

LandCare Research

Using RFID to track possums and save crops.

Tech used: RFID PIR Motion Sensors

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Tracking Possums with RFID

Haltwhistle Cheese

Using RFID to feed goats and track the herd’s health.

Tech used: RFID Automation

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PurpleAir

PurpleAir

SparkFun brings data logging to support a real-time, global air-quality map -- ideal for tracking microclimate data.

Tech used: Data Logging Air Quality Sensors

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Sustainable Farming

2050 Robotics Lab

Using machine learning to spot aphids and trigger a mobile robot to spray the affected area.

Tech used: Machine Learning Optical Inspection Sensor

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“I may only have a couple minutes per day with each animal to perform a health assessment. Having some automated tools that are able to provide support throughout the day and feed me data on the herd automatically helps to ensure that I’m getting the bigger picture of herd health, and can act early on it.”

- Cory Spencer
Haltwhistle Cheese

Tools for monitoring, geolocation, data collection (sensors) and automation


Remote monitoring

SparkFun LoRa Thing Plus - expLoRaBLE

SparkFun LoRa Thing Plus - expLoRaBLE

WRL-17506
$53.50
3
SparkFun Pro RF - LoRa, 915MHz (SAMD21)

SparkFun Pro RF - LoRa, 915MHz (SAMD21)

WRL-15836
$33.95
5

SparkFun LoRaSerial Kit - 915MHz

WRL-19311
Retired

Pycom LoRa and Sigfox Antenna Kit - 915MHz

WRL-14676
Retired
SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield - SARA-R4 (with Hologram SIM Card)

SparkFun LTE CAT M1/NB-IoT Shield - SARA-R4 (with Hologram SIM Card)

CEL-15087
$96.50
5
Wide Band 4G LTE Internal LoRa Antenna

Wide Band 4G LTE Internal LoRa Antenna

WRL-17841
$2.10
1
SparkFun Thing Plus - ESP32 WROOM (U.FL)

SparkFun Thing Plus - ESP32 WROOM (U.FL)

WRL-17381
$22.50
11
SparkFun Thing Plus - Artemis

SparkFun Thing Plus - Artemis

WRL-15574
$22.50
3
XBee 3 Pro Module - PCB Antenna

XBee 3 Pro Module - PCB Antenna

WRL-15127
$30.95

SparkFun Pro nRF52840 Mini - Bluetooth Development Board

DEV-15025
1

Environmental monitoring and data collection

SparkFun MicroMod Weather Carrier Board

SEN-16794
1 Retired
Weather Meter Kit

Weather Meter Kit

SEN-15901
$79.95
11

SparkFun Environmental Combo Breakout - CCS811/BME280 (Qwiic)

SEN-14348
20 Retired
SparkFun High Precision Temperature Sensor - TMP117 (Qwiic)

SparkFun High Precision Temperature Sensor - TMP117 (Qwiic)

SEN-15805
$14.95
5
Temperature Sensor - Waterproof (DS18B20)

Temperature Sensor - Waterproof (DS18B20)

SEN-11050
$10.95
29
SparkFun Qwiic Thermocouple Amplifier - MCP9600 (PCC Connector)

SparkFun Qwiic Thermocouple Amplifier - MCP9600 (PCC Connector)

SEN-16294
$29.95
1
Thermocouple Type-K - Stainless Steel

Thermocouple Type-K - Stainless Steel

SEN-13715
$5.50
4
SparkFun Qwiic Soil Moisture Sensor

SparkFun Qwiic Soil Moisture Sensor

SEN-17731
$19.95
3
SparkFun Humidity Sensor Breakout - SHTC3 (Qwiic)

SparkFun Humidity Sensor Breakout - SHTC3 (Qwiic)

SEN-16467
$10.95
1
SST Liquid Level Sensor

SST Liquid Level Sensor

SEN-13835
$26.95
5
SparkFun Environmental Sensor Breakout - BME680 (Qwiic)

SparkFun Environmental Sensor Breakout - BME680 (Qwiic)

SEN-16466
$18.95
3
SparkFun Triad Spectroscopy Sensor - AS7265x (Qwiic)

SparkFun Triad Spectroscopy Sensor - AS7265x (Qwiic)

SEN-15050
$69.95
13

SparkFun Air Quality Sensor - SGP30 (Qwiic)

SEN-16531
1 Retired
SparkFun Qwiic Scale - NAU7802

SparkFun Qwiic Scale - NAU7802

SEN-15242
$16.50
10

Geolocation

SparkFun GPS-RTK-SMA Breakout - ZED-F9P (Qwiic)

SparkFun GPS-RTK-SMA Breakout - ZED-F9P (Qwiic)

GPS-16481
$249.95 $199.96
18

SparkFun GPS-RTK Dead Reckoning Breakout - ZED-F9R (Qwiic)

GPS-16344
Retired
SparkFun RTK Surveying Kit

SparkFun RTK Surveying Kit

GPS-17370
$574.95
11

SparkFun RTK Express

GPS-18442
1

GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Helical Antenna (SMA) BT-560

GPS-17383
3 Retired
GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna - TNC (TOP106)

GNSS Multi-Band L1/L2 Surveying Antenna - TNC (TOP106)

GPS-17751
$133.95 $113.86
15
SparkFun Simultaneous RFID Reader - M6E Nano

SparkFun Simultaneous RFID Reader - M6E Nano

SEN-14066
$235.95
27
UHF RFID Antenna (RP-TNC)

UHF RFID Antenna (RP-TNC)

WRL-14131
$42.95
6
SparkFun RFID Qwiic Kit

SparkFun RFID Qwiic Kit

KIT-15209
$48.50
3

UHF RFID Tag - Adhesive (Set of 5)

WRL-14151
Retired
RFID Button - 16mm (125kHz)

RFID Button - 16mm (125kHz)

SEN-09417
$4.50
1
SparkFun 9DoF IMU Breakout - ICM-20948 (Qwiic)

SparkFun 9DoF IMU Breakout - ICM-20948 (Qwiic)

SEN-15335
$18.50
6

Automation and machine learning

NVIDIA Jetson Nano Developer Kit (V3)

DEV-16271
14
Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4 GB)

Raspberry Pi 4 Model B (4 GB)

DEV-15447
$55.00
21
OpenMV Cam H7 Plus

OpenMV Cam H7 Plus

SEN-16989
$99.95
3
SparkFun MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board

SparkFun MicroMod Machine Learning Carrier Board

DEV-16400
$19.95

Get accurate land surveying at a lower price.

The SparkFun RTK Surveyor is an easy to use GNSS receiver for centimeter-level positioning - perfect for surveying or use as a base station. With the flick of a switch, two RTK Surveyors can be used to create an RTK system capable of 14 mm horizontal positional accuracy. The built-in Bluetooth connection enables use of the RTK Surveyor with your choice of phone or tablet applications. A built-in battery allows field use for up to four hours, and is compatible with common USB battery banks.

Learn more about the RTK Surveyor