Role of RFID in Agriculture
RFID technology can provide considerable benefits to farmers in the cultivation process. Here in this article, we will go through its various roles, benefits, and challenges in the agriculture sector.
Wireless communications are a very important component in agriculture pertaining to technological innovations. Monitoring and gathering data in real-time can be a profitable endeavor for farmers for a successful harvest. Current developments in RFID technology have brought up quite promising prospects in the agricultural space. It is used to read and write data in RF tags through radio waves which is being used for animal tracking in livestock farming and processed food chains for traceability. In many aspects, RFID technology is better than data loggers and barcodes. Through RFID tags, agricultural operations can enhance considerably which will aid in improving the productivity and efficiency of the farmers. It provides more accurate and real-time information without the involvement of any kind of visual communication or contact.
RFID in Agriculture
RFID technology helps in keeping a check and taking relevant steps to yield a healthy and good quality harvest. Further, it is also quite helpful in the safe packing and transporting of agri-commodities. It utilizes peculiar hardware and software for tracking and monitoring livestock. RFID technology can be helpful in establishing a holistic and cheap monitoring system in the long run. These systems can evidently be quite beneficial for farmers.
Benefits of RFID Technology in Agriculture
RFID technology provides an array of benefits in agriculture that can streamline various agricultural operations increasing efficiency and production. This can help various involved stakeholders to track, and monitor their agri-commodities minutely.
- RFID tags have the capacity to store a lot of information. In the case of a crop, they can store information like the date of harvest, moisture level, temperature, and nutritional information and provide accurate data at all times.
- These tags are quite secure and can be easily integrated.
- RFID can be integrated into smart greenhouses to collect crucial data. These data can majorly help in managing equipment and devices, storing and assessing developing and harvesting time, and managing different resources.
- RFID helps in tracing agri-commodities right from the production stage to the end-user. It aids in establishing food safety throughout the distribution channel at every stage.
- The technology helps in various ways by automatically storing and providing information while exporting and importing agri-commodities.
Challenges of Using RFID Technology in Agriculture
Though RFID technology has many advantages, it also comes with various challenges that need to be addressed.
- RFID functionality in adverse weather conditions like extreme temperatures, heavy rainfalls, etc. can be difficult. For proper functionality, suitable weather conditions are a requisite.
- As we know, RFID tags can store a lot of data. Proper systems need to be established in order to manage these data for utilization. If the data management is not carried out appropriately, the data generated will go in vain without being much helpful.
- The signal strength and time range for reading signals of RFID systems can get adversely affected during crop canopy propagation. Hence, appropriate solutions are required to enhance reading ranges at any point in time.
- As the RFID systems work on radio waves, it is crucial to understand different frequencies applicable for different operations. This will help in enhancing the efficiency of the installed RFID systems generating apt information.
- It can be a costly affair in terms of short-term investment for farmers. However, in the long run, it can be quite useful in agricultural operations.
In Conclusion
RFID technology can be a vital tool for farmers in terms of monitoring and tracking agri-commodities. This will help them to avert future adverse happenings that may occur. However, installing and operating RFID systems can be cumbersome if the farmers are not trained appropriately to operate. The farmers need to have proper training on how to extract the required information and put it to proper utilization. Several organizations in India are providing valuable support and training on the ground level to farmers so that they can adapt to the new technological innovations swiftly. DeHaat is one such organization that provides all kinds of aid to farmers including training on the ground level. DeHaat’s key principle of “Farmers First’’ motivates it to take every step towards the prosperity of farmers. It envisions addressing and solving the problems of each and every farmer across the country and helping them enhance their livelihood considerably.
