Connected Farming: Harnessing IoT to Boost Yield, Cut Costs, and Drive Sustainability

While agriculture remains a hands‑on industry, the Internet of Things (IoT) is reshaping how farmers work, turning routine tasks into data‑driven decisions that improve productivity and profitability.

With sensors and smart analytics embedded in tractors, planters and fields, farmers can pinpoint the exact soil nutrients needed, predict equipment failures before they happen, and optimize every input from seed to irrigation.

Deanna Kovar, John Deere

“Farmers have to get more productive to stay profitable,” says Deanna Kovar, director of John Deere’s Global Operator Station team. “IoT data lets them identify cost‑saving opportunities and reduce risk.” Kovar was a finalist for the 2020 IoT World Leader of the Year award, honoring executives who advance IoT adoption across industries.

The American Farm Bureau reports that precision technology—connected sensors and AI‑driven algorithms—can cut operating costs by ~15% and lift crop yields by 13%.

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Connected farming is no longer niche: Alpha Brown estimates 10‑15% of U.S. farms use IoT. BI Intelligence predicts that by 2020 the sector will host 75 million IoT devices, growing 20% annually. The global smart agriculture market is projected to triple, reaching $15.3 billion by 2025 from just over $5 billion in 2016.

These gains are vital as farm margins tighten. Net cash farm income is expected to decline $10.9 billion (9.0%) to $109.6 billion in 2020, forcing farmers to increase productivity, cut costs and manage risk.

Meanwhile, demand is rising. The United Nations projects a global population of 9.7 billion by 2050, driving agricultural production up 69% between 2010 and 2050. IoT’s analytics and automation are essential to meet this challenge.

Taming Agriculture’s Variability with Connected Farming

Farmers face daily uncertainties—weather swings, soil variability and equipment reliability. IoT sensors on tractors and planters give real‑time visibility into these factors, allowing proactive risk management.

“There’s a lot of variability from season to season,” Kovar notes. “By connecting every machine, we help farmers achieve greater consistency.”

For example, sensors can detect impending equipment failures, preventing costly downtime. In 2019, John Deere’s Operations Center—an IoT platform—sent 27,000 alerts to dealers, warning them of imminent failures so they could advise customers preemptively.

Kovar explains that data changes decision‑making: farmers may abandon a field, adjust seed rates, modify irrigation or nutrient application—all based on actionable insights.

One provider estimates connected sensors can cut water use by 30% while improving land management. Yet farmers remain wary of large corporations storing their data, preferring cooperative‑style repositories that ensure security and contextual relevance.

More software in equipment can add operational complexity. Farmers want the ability to repair their gear independently, rather than rely solely on connected service providers.

Optimizing Crop Cycles with IoT

After harvest, farmers need soil condition data to replenish fields. IoT sensors now deliver real‑time nutrient needs, enabling timely amendments and reducing disruptions caused by weather or other variables.

Connected machines can also share data, preventing duplicate work. Kovar calls this “coverage map sharing”: one planter marks a row as seeded, so the next planter skips it, maximizing field efficiency.

Future plans include computer vision to distinguish crops from weeds. John Deere estimates that precise herbicide targeting could cut costs by 80% and enhance sustainability.

“Computer vision and machine learning will let us spray only the weeds,” Kovar says. “Farmers are eager for new automation that boosts yield while conserving resources.”

Kovar also highlighted that technology adoption is a one‑year window for farmers to maximize output and minimize input, and that IoT and AI will continue to play a pivotal role.

[Kovar is speaking at this year’s IoT World 2020. Check out the session on connected farming here. To register for IoT World, book your ticket now.]