IoT in Agriculture: Ag + TechJulie MorrisWorld Food Center @ UC Davis
AGRICULTURE + TECHNOLOGY
UC Davis: A Leading Agricultural University
• 1st in the nation and 2nd in the world in agriculture (QS World University Rankings; U.S.
News & World Report)
• 1st in the world in plant and animal programs (U.S. News & World Report)
• 1st in the world in veterinary medicine (QS World University Rankings)
• 1st in the world in sustainability (GreenMetric World University Ranking)
• 6th best public university in the nation (Wall Street Journal/Times Higher Education)
California Produces Half Fruit & Veg in U.S.
• Cash receipts totaled US$47 billion in 2015
• Exports totaled US$21 billion in 2015
• Over 400 commodities
• Top producer is dairy industry followed by almonds and grapes together accounting for more than US$16.5B
What Exactly is “Agriculture”?
Feeding a Rapidly Growing Planet
Shifting Diets
What other issues are at play?
• Climate change (droughts, floods)
• Drive to sustainability
• Regulatory environment
• Pressure on freshwater resources
• Food security/food quality
• Labor shortages
How do we address these challenges?
Higher Yields Reduce Waste IncreasedCropping
Reduce Impact
Solving the World’s Agricultural Production
WHAT IS THE ROLE OF
TECHNOLOGY?
And is there a role for your organization?
Agriculture: Domestication of Plants and Animals Started About 10,000 Years Ago
Ag Tech Evolution: 1800s Grain Elevator & Reaper
Ag Tech Evolution: "Waterloo Boy" 1914
Ag Tech Evolution: Late 1990s and Early 2000s GPS/GIS & Aerial Imaging Gain Traction
Will IoT be the Agriculture 3.0?
• Sensors
• Drones
• Satellite
• Phones/Tablets/Computers
• Smart farm equipment
• Animal monitors
• Cloud computing
• Wireless communications
What are the drivers of technology adoption?
• Low cost and pervasive connectivity
• Adaptable, robust for extreme climates
• Advantages in data storage and exchange
• Devices with ultra low energy consumption
• Innovative business models and partnerships
IoT Device Adoption Growing 20% Annually
Smart Agriculture Market 2022E: US $18.5B
Data Generated at an Accelerating Pace
Demonstrated ROI is Critical to Farmers
“Many systems can detect the smallest details about a
plant’s growth. But a huge amount of data is just data until you can actually deliver an insight from it”
- Laura Lee, Lux Research, Inc.
“I’m tired of paying for technology that doesn’t pay me
back”- North Dakota Farmer
Silicon Valley Central Valley
• Wireless field & remote sensing
• Data analytics
• Control systems
• Integrated decision support tools
Fields are not Uniform
Modeling Complexity: inputs -> yield
Precision irrigation & nutrient management
The exact amount of water & fertilizer for each plant
Efficient Water Use
Irrigation Node in Vineyards
Allows Individual microsprinkler
control
Wireless Mesh Network
- Delwiche & Coates
Plant Water Status Network in Grapes
Real-Time Leaf Temperature Monitor in AlmondsPAR/Light
sensor
Air Temperature and RH sensor
(Bottom side)
Diffuser Dome
Wind barrier
Wind sensor
Leaf holder
Infrared thermometer
Animals Too!
Smart Collar
Smart Sensor
From Research to Commercial Solutions
Tule Technologies Solution
Who is working in this market?
• Large agricultural companies
• Startups
• Domestic & global communications
• HW/SW
• Logistics
• Anyone & everyone
What do the Venture Investors Think?
40%
22%
11%
8%
6%
4%
3%3%
3%
Food Marketplace/Ecommerce
Ag Biotechnology
Farm Mgmt, Sensing & IoT
Novel Farming Systems
Supply Chain Technologies
Bioenergy & Biomaterials
Innovative Food
Robotics, Mechanization & Other Farm Eq
Other
Source: AgFunder 2016 AgTech Investment report
2016 Global AgTechInvestment by Category(US$3.23 billion)
What’s holding back investment?
• Disconnect in the amount of investment into agtech vs. other sectors like healthcare
• Solutions looking for problems; ROI unclear
• Timeline expectations of investors (adoption rates, crop cycles, regulation)
• Education process for investors
• Few successful exits
• Marathon, not a sprint
Attributes of Winning IoT Solutions
• Understand the full value chain from farm to fork
• Reduce costs/inputs (water, energy, labor, inputs)
• Increase yields
• Improve efficiencies
• Deliver measurable benefits
• More than a point solution
• Address security and privacy concerns
Farmers are Sophisticated Business Owners
• Farming is relationship driven
• Farmers will experiment
• Farmers want to see support for technology claims
• Focus needs to be on true needs, not data overload
Thank You! Merci! Questions?