Success Stories

Internet of Things Success Stories Series #3
CESENS, a comprehensive system for agriculture intelligence
1. Problem
The agricultural sector is one of the most traditional activities where technology has penetrated with
less intensity. Other than agricultural machinery and plant protection products, agriculture today
is very similar to that practiced for thousands of years and in many cases decisions are still made
looking at the sky.
It is increasingly common that field technicians (agronomists)
give advice based on meteorological data recorded by public
stations. Although there is a substantial improvement in the
process when basing a decision on such data, there is a problem
of imprecision derived from the distance to the nearest
public station of each plantation.
The specificities of topography, plant canopy or even human
works in each plot are determining factors in setting the climatic
conditions in small areas. For example, a small hill
can make differences in the level of rainfall, wind speed and
temperature in plantations less than one kilometre apart.
This means that the data recorded by a public station are not
always representative of the whole area which is supposed to
be covered. In addition, sometimes the required information is
not available for an area or is really difficult to process it since
complex models need to be used.
Due of the mentioned methods and limitations, farmers have
to face consequences such as water waste or deficiency,
wrong timing treatments, lower crop quality, higher field
contamination and also higher costs.
On the other hand, the current growth trend of agricultural production
is unsustainable because of the negative impacts it
causes on natural resources and the environment. One of the
key points in making progress towards sustainable agriculture
is to improve efficiency in the use of resources, such as
water and others (FAO, 2015).
Irrigation systems have been under pressure to produce more
with lower supplies of water. As world population grows and
global food production increases to meet the demand, water
management in agriculture, which accounts for approximately
70% of all water use, is becoming one of the key collective
challenges to achieving sustainable development worldwide
(Crop Life International, 2004). The European Commission emphasises
“technological innovation in the field of water, given
that water efficiency will be an increasingly important factor
for competitiveness”. Innovative technologies can enhance
water efficiency, gaining an economic advantage while also
reducing environmental burdens (Levidow et al., 2014).
Another major agricultural practice is the use of pesticides
that brings various benefits - mostly economic - for farmers.
Pesticides improve or safeguard agricultural yields and the
quality of agricultural products and they also minimise labour
input. However, when pesticides are not used appropriately,
they can be harmful to non-target organisms, and can have
unwanted adverse effects on human health and the environment
(European Commission, 2007). Moreover, they are
frequently applied in wrong timing or in excess, what not only
makes them less effective but also implies high and unnecessary
costs (up to 58%).
With the aim of making a better use of resources, sustainable
agricultural practices should make more use of technology,
research and development, with greater integration of local
knowledge than in the past (FAO, 2015). The ability to determine
whether a plant needs water, fertilizers or pesticides, or
when and how much, is key to sustainable agriculture. Thus,
having specific agro-climatic data for each plantation at agronomists´
disposal is a need in order to obtain reliable conclusions
to make decisions related to cultural practices and crop
management.
2. Solution
What is Cesens?
Cesens is a next-generation system to assist agricultural management throughout the whole phenological cycle of plants.
Based on agro-climatic field sensors, the system provides key information that allows to prevent pests and diseases, reduce
treatment costs and help in the decision making process regarding watering and other cultural practices in different crops.
Internet of Things • Success Stories 7 SERIES #3 - November 2015