This article introduces practical applications of temperature sensors in smart agriculture, including greenhouse control, orchard sensor networks, and drone perception, and recommends suitable international brands and models.
I. Background: Challenges of Environmental Sensing in Smart Agriculture
With increasingly volatile global climates, conventional farming struggles to cope with shifting environmental variables. Smart agriculture, powered by IoT, relies heavily on temperature sensors to enable real-time monitoring and responsive automation throughout the crop lifecycle.
II. Overview of Temperature Sensor Technologies
Temperature sensors come in various forms: NTC/PTC thermistors, RTDs, thermocouples, and semiconductor-based sensors. Each offers trade-offs in accuracy, response time, and environmental resilience.
For example:
NTC thermistors: Suitable for local environmental monitoring, low cost, and fast response
Digital temperature sensors (such as TMP117, DS18B20): Digital interfaces support long-distance deployment
RTDs (such as PT100, PT1000): High accuracy, suitable for precise greenhouse temperature control
III. Typical Application Scenarios
1. Closed-Loop Temperature Control in Smart Greenhouses
Sensors embedded throughout greenhouses enable zonal control via actuators like fans and sprinklers. This maintains optimal microclimates for crop growth.
High-accuracy sensors such as TI's TMP117 or Sensirion's SHT3x ensure reliable readings from -40°C to 125°C with ±0.1°C accuracy.
2. Wireless Sensor Networks in Orchards and Tunnels
Integrated with LoRa, Zigbee, or NB-IoT, temperature sensors form wireless nodes for wide-area environmental sensing, linking to central platforms.
Low-power and ruggedized sensors such as ADI’s ADT7420 or Maxim’s MAX31865 are ideal for these deployments.
3. Drones and Robots for Real-Time Environmental Mapping
Modern agri-drones and ground robots integrate temperature sensors to map microclimates, identify disease-prone conditions, and optimize spraying.
IV. Case Study: Smart Farm Deployment in Maharashtra, India
In 2024, an Indian agri-tech firm deployed a 200+ node environmental sensing system using NTC thermistors and SHT85 sensors across smart farms in Maharashtra, India, integrated via LoRa.
Results:
28% cost reduction via energy optimization
93% success rate in early disease detection
15.7% average yield increase per acre
Temperature sensors | Smart agriculture | Environmental monitoring | Digital sensors | NTC thermistors
EN
