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NATIONAL RURAL ISSUES
Transformative technologies
A fact sheet series on new and emerging transformative technologies in Australian agriculture
Internet of things
� The IoT integrates data from objects and devices giving businesses better insight into their operations and better information for making decisions.
� In agriculture, the IoT can identify efficiency gains through monitoring resources and equipment, developing predictive models and making decisions based on the data collected.
� The IoT can apply to a whole supply chain, enabling producers, processors and consumers to trace a product from paddock to plate.
� The range and functions of IoT devices available to Australian agriculture is sophisticated and diverse, but access to adequate telecommunications is a major impediment to adoption.
Snapshot
The internet of things (IoT) is a wirelessly connected network of objects and devices enabling computers, machines, infrastructure, animals and people to transfer data between each other, without human interaction. It creates a new form of communication between humans and objects, and between objects.
The IoT enables objects and devices to be sensed and controlled remotely, through existing
networks, to integrate and exchange data in the physical world and on computer-based systems.
The data generated, often called ‘big data’, has a wide range of uses but is commonly used to
determine the status of inanimate objects or living things.
The IoT is a collection of hardware (sensors, equipment and machine components), software,
data and services (people and processes) that is brought together to achieve a specific task.
The front end of the IoT is the hardware, i.e. the devices or equipment that sense or respond to
the external environment. The back end is the software and process architecture that determine
how the devices will be organised and function together effectively.
The information gathered through the IoT supports better decision-making about the objects
being monitored, resulting in improved efficiencies, performance accuracy and economic benefits.
The digital relationship between objects can be supported through many types of infrastructure,
including an ethernet, radio-frequency identification (RFID), near field communication (NFC)
Bluetooth, WiFi, and 3G, 4G and the future 5G mobile telecommunications services.
The IoT may refer to regional, national or global networks of connected objects, or it may
be a network customised for use by one business or a group of businesses.
A fact sheet series on new and emerging
transformative technologies in Australian agriculture
Agricultural applications
The internet of things (IoT) has been adopted by a wide range of industries, from manufacturing to retail, to gain efficiencies and gather data. The IoT gives all businesses the opportunity to gain better insights into their operations and better information on which to make decisions.
The IoT has application to all primary industries, and at all levels within individual businesses. The IoT enables
farmers to generate data about soil, water, crops, pastures and animals, providing high levels of precision in
decision-making. The IoT identifies where efficiency gains can be made through the monitoring of equipment
and processing of data through software applications along the supply chain. By enabling traceability of goods
throughout the supply chain, the IoT will empower consumers to make more deliberate purchasing decisions
in terms of provenance and production systems.
Guiding inputs and operationsThe adoption of global positioning systems (GPS) in the 1990s to guide machinery in grain industries
was agriculture’s first step towards the IoT. The GPS in machinery was soon enhanced with autosteer
technology and yield mapping systems linked to office-based computers. These were mainly proprietary
devices integrated into agricultural machinery, and therefore farmers’ use of the technology was linked
to the machine manufacturer.
Agricultural machinery has advanced to include variable rate technology for planting and spraying, enabling
growers to increase yield through precise application of farm inputs and reducing overall crop inputs. Harvesters
can be constantly connected to the internet and yield assessed over a detailed scale in real-time, together with
machinery performance. Drones and other unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) collecting data remotely are being
connected to an IoT to monitor crop or pasture performance.
Sophisticated software, proliferating apps and cloud data storage options mean farm managers and advisers
now have access to comprehensive, integrated decision support tools to guide farm management decisions.
The applications of the IoT are more advanced in the cropping sector of the US than in Australia; and within
the US, generally more developed in the cropping sector than in livestock. In the US corn industry, it is
estimated that up to 40% of growers (producing 70% of the crop) use IoT applications to monitor and manage
their cropping program, for example varying planting density and precision fertiliser and pesticide application,
to optimise productivity and profitability.
The John Deere Field ConnectTM system is an IoT system that assists farmers in making more precise irrigation
decisions for their crops. It utilises a network of sensors to monitor moisture levels throughout the root zone
of a crop, soil temperature, wind speed, humidity, solar radiation and leaf wetness and sends data over a
wireless connection to either hand-held or office-based monitors. Trend data can also show how changes
in seasons affect moisture retention.
The US company TempuTech uses IoT and big data to provide grain storage monitoring systems for small and
large facilities. The systems ensure optimal storage conditions and detect potential hazards, including broken
belts or bearings in grain elevators. Computer dashboards show the moisture and temperature in grain bins,
allowing aeration and fan settings of large operations to be altered automatically to compensate. Weather
station data is also sent to farm operators, who can use it to predict moisture and temperature changes in
their own silos, and therefore change aeration settings.
3
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
Providing precise informationAs horticultural industries have high levels of management, high levels of inputs and high value of production
per hectare they are ideally suited to the adoption of IoT. The technology can provide precise information on
irrigation requirements and minimise nutrient loss in systems. Additionally, it can provide for trace back of
products and provenance information to consumers.
The Australian company Taggle Systems Pty Ltd has been working with landowners from Barwon Water
and the Irrewarra Farm Care group in Victoria to trial automatic meter reading technology to better manage
potable water in agriculture. The company’s aim was to implement efficient water use systems, saving money
and reducing the pressure on drinking water resources. In the Irrewarra catchment, 25 farmers tracked their
farm’s water usage on an hourly basis using transmitters fitted to farm water meters. The data was transmitted
to a Taggle-supplied secure website. The data identified 60 water leaks, which upon fixing resulted in significant
water bill savings. Further improvement to the system has been the addition of opt-in SMS mobile alerts to
notify growers of irregular water usage.
Reducing stock handling In the livestock sector, the IoT is used to monitor animal health, reproductive status and productivity, and
tailor diets and medical treatment to individual animals. It also provides the opportunity to trace product
through the supply chain.
The Digital Homestead being developed by CSIRO, James Cook University and Queensland University
of Technology is an initiative for beef producers in northern Australia to enable improved decision making.
It brings together a browser-based dashboard showing information from farm sensors and external data
sources, including weather forecasts, market pricing and herd condition (such as weight determined by
walk-over weighing systems). The dashboard aims to provide information to assist producers make timely
and well-informed decisions about marketing livestock before rather than after mustering. It is anticipated
that information from the system will result in a substantial reduction in mustering costs, which can be high
on vast properties.
Improving supply chains New methods of tracing produce from paddock to plate are evolving in many agricultural industries. With
an IoT approach, goods can be traced throughout the supply chain and feedback loops established to improve
efficiency or optimise a supply chain. Such a network may integrate on-farm and livestock identification sensors
with food-packaging sensors and sensors at the storage and retail stages of the supply chain. The consumer
will have information on the management practices and growing conditions of the produce, how and where it
was processed, and if there are any related health alerts. Consumers will be able to gain much more knowledge
on the provenance of produce, including sustainability and ethical aspects of production, to inform their
purchasing decisions.
A fact sheet series on new and emerging
transformative technologies in Australian agriculture
Photo - GRDC
The issue Darrin Lee is the managing partner of Bligh Lee
Farms, a mixed livestock and cropping property near
Mingenew in the northern grain growing area of
Western Australia. The business is made up of several
properties covering 6880 hectares and has five
full-time employees.
Regularly inspecting properties of this size to assess
the progress of crops throughout the season was
time consuming and subjective crop assessments
by multiple staff members was creating inconsistent
data sets that hampered decision-making.
Wanting to improve the quality of crop information,
and introduce efficiencies that would provide him
with more time to manage the business, Darrin started
exploring ways to farm smarter through the adoption
of new technologies that could monitor and relay
farm data to a centralised system for decision-making.
His development of an on-farm information system
using a range of devices to exchange and share data,
combined with external and regional data sets has
created an IoT approach to running his business.
IoT saving time and resources in broadacre farming
Bringing a unique skill set from the finance industry, where decisions are based on data, grain grower Darrin Lee has made significant efficiency gains introducing an internet of things to his farm business.
The technology In 2013, Darrin installed soil moisture probes and
weather stations across the properties that track
rainfall, available soil moisture, temperature and
relative humidity throughout the seasons. The
network of devices feeds data into software he
can access anywhere from his mobile phone. Plant
phenology, pests and weeds are tracked with other
computer-based tools that use artificial intelligence
combined with climate information to extrapolate
development rates. The combination of seasonal
information with historical data can be used to alert
him to potential problems.
“The real-time information is collected seamlessly
through a tailored computer interface application
and sent to mobile devices, I can check the available
moisture content of soils in every paddock, check on
root growth of crops and their stage of development.”
Darrin went on to fit sensors to all his equipment
and machinery and can now remotely manage water,
monitor the performance of his machinery, and
monitor yield and protein content while harvesting.
“This is great for asset monitoring. Not only can
you monitor fuel consumption and predict when you
have to send the fuel cart but you can do predictive
maintenance on the machinery. We can download
data and send it directly to our service contractors
to get the machinery remotely assessed. This saves
both time and costs.”
Darrin uses Crop Manager, a web-based decision
support software designed by Data into Profit that
uses artificial intelligence to merge new data with
historical data and can also link to regional data sets
to enable informed crop planning, including variety,
sowing time and fertiliser application.
He also works closely with Annie Brox from Origo,
who is assisting him fit Open Remote Devices to
his equipment to improve the interoperability of the
devices. The devices are able to be retrofitted to older
machines to integrate them into Darrin’s internet
of things.
Wanting to collect better
data and use time more
resourcefully, an internet
of things was set up on a
grain growing property.
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
5
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
Case study
Contact detailsDarrin Lee
Bligh Lee Farms
E: blighleefarms @bigpond.com
T: 0427 281 021
Connectivity is critical,
especially the download
and upload speeds, so Darrin
circumvented the public
system and built his
own network.
Farm vehicles
Observation stations
InternetDigital
agriculture
Sheds
Farm server
Cooperating organisations
Agronomists and advisers
Farmer away from farm
Connecting a farm business to the internet of things Schematic inspired by an Origo Agriculture concept
The benefits By installing the network of observation stations
around the farm and installing sensors in machinery
and equipment, Darrin said that many more decisions
are based on information rather than reaction.
“Using this IoT approach, our decisions become
pre-emptive. As it works from historical data specific
to our property, if the same weather conditions and
the same crop growth stage, phenology-wise, come
up, the IoT will actually send my phone a warning.
It may say “four years ago this happened at this plant
development stage — so check for heliothis or stripe
rust or whatever pest and disease is seasonally
significant now”.
“It also enables me to make more precise decisions
during the growing season. For example, in 2015
the data was indicating a dry finish, so I held off
applying additional nitrogen and this was a significant
cost saving.”
The data collected from Darrin’s sensors can be
combined with local historical data to predict crop
yield and profit per paddock.
This IoT approach to gathering data means that
Darrin, his partners and the farm staff no longer
rely on manual data recording and potential double
handling with data entry on the farm computer. The
IoT enables everyone involved to use their time much
more efficiently.
The future Darrin has teamed up with farmer groups in his region
and technology specialists to develop the Digital
Agriculture Program (DAP) and set up a demonstration
farm for IoT.
Frustrated with the lack of connectivity to
telecommunications, the group is developing
a system to improve mobile coverage, internet
access and download speeds. Darrin has constructed
three transmitter towers on his farm giving complete
coverage of the property. He will then fit servers in
tractors, harvesters, utes and have a radio network
across the farm enabling rapid transfer of data.
“It is the connectivity that is critical — the download
and upload speed — so I’ve circumvented the public
system and built our own network.
“Ultimately we want to showcase to growers the
step change that adopting the IoT can achieve for
Australian grain growers.”
A fact sheet series on new and emerging
transformative technologies in Australian agriculture
The adoption of the internet of things (IoT) has the potential to transform agriculture through improving farmer decision-making, reducing input costs, lowering the reliance on scarce labour and improving the lifestyle and safety of farming.
Worldwide, the use of IoT devices is expected to increase at a rate of 23% from 2015 to 2021, driven by new
users taking up the technology. In total, around 28 billion connected devices are forecast by 2021, of which
close to 16 billion will be related to IoT.
One benefit of the IoT is its scalability, as it is composed of any number of devices and can be customised
for any user and use. The IoT may start on a relatively simple scale and be built sequentially, increasing in
sophistication as users increase their understanding of the system’s potential and achieve a return on
investment. IoT is driving the development of hierarchical systems such as smart homes and smart cities,
and this thinking can be applied to agriculture.
The IoT will facilitate a ‘sharing economy’ as people, businesses and communities become more connected.
New services and new business models will develop that previously were not economically viable, as people
are better able to monitor elements of the world at a finer detail. Higher levels of connection within communities
will foster IoT adoption and drive the co-creation of new devices and IoTs to address new challenges.
For farmers, the ability to monitor many aspects of their production environment and integrate new information
with historical data sets will mean they can deal with the risks inherent in their production systems in a much
more informed way. Management decisions will move from paddock and herd averages to the square metre
or individual animal level, which will result in significant productivity gains.
The benefits of adopting IoT in agriculture are numerous, including remote monitoring, better asset tracking,
and optimised supply chains and resource use. While the benefits result in much better decision making,
IoT has the potential to change the make-up of the agricultural workforce. In the future, adoption of IoT in
Australian agriculture will demand new skill sets including technical, analytical and business management.
The Australian Farm Institute reported in 2016 that through the adoption of digital technology, overall gains
in cropping systems may be in the order of 10–15% with approximately half of this achieved through yield
improvement and half through input cost savings. Use of data from a walk-over weighing system, within
an IoT system for livestock enterprises, could save 10% on mustering costs.
Remote monitoringEquipment, machinery, paddocks and animals can be remotely monitored using IoT. The use of sensors
integrated into a system with corresponding alerts allows farm inventory, paddocks and livestock to be
maintained and serviced in ways that have not been possible before. The results will be significant savings in
time, labour and costs in many agricultural operations as regular physical observation will not be required and
decisions can be made remotely. Remote monitoring will mean that agricultural activities may become more
office based, which will reduce some of the safety risks inherent in large and isolated agricultural businesses,
freeing up time and labour for other activities.
Transforming agriculture
7
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
On-farm efficienciesIoT allows for more sophisticated management of machinery, such as tracking its location by GPS and receiving
information about engine performance. Information such as running time, speed and temperature could be
relayed directly to the manufacturer for diagnosis of problems or to signal the need for maintenance to avoid
future downtime of equipment.
Historically, agricultural inputs have been applied according to best-fit averages. The sensors and analytics
integrated into an IoT will determine input requirements more accurately, reducing wastage and improving crop
and livestock productivity. The welfare of animals will improve as IoT enables real-time monitoring of feed, water
and physical wellbeing.
Consumer informationSupply chain optimisation using an IoT will entail the installation of farm and livestock identification sensors
through to food-packaging sensors, and retail supply chain monitoring with in-built feedback loops. Producers
will benefit from improved supply chain risk management and reputational benefits, as well as finding it easier
to comply with increasingly strict regulations. Consumers will benefit as IoT adoption enables full traceability
of a product from paddock to plate, meeting their increasing demand for greater transparency of agricultural
production. Accountability and management throughout the supply chain will drive the production of
agricultural goods that meet consumer expectations in terms of sustainability and ethics.
New skills The adoption of IoT in agricultural industries will mean a fundamental shift in the skills base from practical
and physical skills to skills driven by objective data assessment. Data scientists will formulate the algorithms
to process the data generated; business analysts will interpret the business implications of the data; information
technology experts will service and develop data storage systems; security professionals will guard against
breaches of data sets; and data programmers, database developers and app developers will construct
new interfaces to view information.
Changing communities The adoption of IoT by agricultural businesses will see impacts on rural and regional communities. It will enable
activities to be undertaken remotely, potentially from capital cities, which may appeal to a new generation of
professionals required to service and drive the new technology. This may impact adversely on rural communities
as fewer people may be required to manage and operate farms. The adoption of IoT and other transformative
technologies may contribute further to the decline of rural populations. A positive change may be that property-
based farmers and managers may find that the adoption of IoT will create additional time for other pursuits,
such as new business opportunities or community and family-orientated activities.
A fact sheet series on new and emerging
transformative technologies in Australian agriculture
Challenges for adoption
Photo - Darrin Lee
The main challenge to the adoption of the internet of things (IoT) in Australian agriculture is the quality of the networks to support the use of devices. There is inconsistent access to reliable and affordable telecommunication services in some parts of rural Australia.
The basic driver for the adoption of new technology is that it should deliver a return on investment. As at 2016,
there is a lack of successful business cases in agriculture that demonstrate the scale of return that matches
the required investment in IoT. However, it is expected that IoT, at a range of scales, will be incorporated into
agriculture over coming years but there are barriers to adoption.
Quality and cost of hardwareFor the most part, IoT hardware or devices have been developed in the US, making the compatibility of some
equipment in Australia difficult to predict. While the cost of embedding the technology into devices will be
marginal, the cost of exploiting it for business advantage could be considerable. The devices must also be cost
effective, robust and reliable (including extended battery use).
Internet accessAccess to the internet can be a major impediment to connectivity and the adoption of IoT in parts of rural and
regional Australia. The next wave of IoT adoption is predicted with the introduction of 5G (estimated in 2020),
however its cost and availability in Australia is unknown.
Data quality and accessAn IoT is only as good as the data it is processing, and therefore improved data quality, in terms of context,
resolution, accuracy, scale and quantity is required. In agriculture, access to several years of data is required for
agricultural operations to be able to make decisions of value. In addition, devices need to be interoperable and
scalable to build more extensive networks, and data streams from different devices in different formats must
be made compatible to enable analysis. Further, each device in an IoT may have different terms and conditions
covering access and use of the data it generates, therefore different management approaches will be required.
Perceived value of dataThere is a challenge to demonstrate to farmers the benefit of collecting data at both the farm scale and a
wider regional scale. Farm-based data has a clear benefit for on-farm decision-making but regional data can
be used for benchmarking farm performance or establishing regional trends. Data collected on a regional scale
also has benefits for the industry, including for research, natural resource management, policy formulation and
biosecurity management.
Security and privacyInterpretation will be critical to determining the value of data, and therefore a number of advisers and experts
may require access to the data. Individual farmers will have different thresholds for sharing data externally.
Further, the integrity of cloud-based storage may also concern some farmers, and they may delay IoT
integration or use an internal (intranet) option instead.
Skills and capacityA 2014 report by PwC showed that Australia’s digital IQ is 2% lower than the global average. Accordingly, new
skills and capacity need to be developed throughout the population but particularly in the agricultural sector
to generate the knowledge to underpin and service IoT adoption.
9
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
The rapid adoption of the internet of things (IoT) has meant that the policy and regulations required to govern its use in Australia have not necessarily kept pace. This issue is complex as it covers the devices used in an IoT, the communication networks and the data generated.
The use of the IoT in Australian agriculture is an emerging technology and attempts to impose restrictive
policies and regulations may impede innovation. However, there are a number of new regulatory and legal
questions around the use of IoT as well as related existing issues around the use of the internet. As at 2016,
standards and regulations have not been developed for many devices used in IoT systems; with the exception
of UAVs, which are regulated by the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA).
Cross-border flow of data, where data is generated in one jurisdiction and transmitted to another with different
laws for data protection create inconsistencies in addressing the misuse of data.
The use of IoT offers potential benefits in stock safety, through monitoring and surveillance devices.
However, legal implications relating to surveillance and the possible infringement of civil rights, data
retention and destruction policies, legal liability for unintended uses, security breaches and privacy lapses
need to be considered.
Data collected from IoT devices could potentially be used in a range of legal proceedings. As IoT devices
operate in more complex ways than a stand-alone product, more complex liability scenarios need to be
considered. For example, IoT data can track people’s actions and potentially be used for either beneficial or
discriminatory purposes. Associated complexities relate to which part of the IoT system should be regulated,
the device, the flow of data, the gateway, the use of the data or the cloud in which the data is stored.
In order to maximise the potential of an IoT in agriculture, industry groups continue to call for an upgrade to
regional telecommunications infrastructure and associated service obligations to ensure reliable and affordable
internet access. The NBN Sky MusterTM service started operation in April 2016, which may provide some regional
areas with additional internet access and capacity.
Policy and regulation
A fact sheet series on new and emerging
transformative technologies in Australian agriculture
Photo - Sense-T
Integrating data and technology for better vineyard decisions
Environmental data from years of research is being integrated using sensor technology and cloud computing to build an internet of things approach to support decision-making in the viticulture industry.
The issue Tasmania has a reputation as one of Australia’s leading
producers of premium wines. However, partly due
to its cool temperate climate, vineyards are regularly
subjected to frost and fungal diseases like botrytis
and powdery mildew. These can cause serious
damage to the vines and fruit, and in turn reduce
production and profit.
Frost damage to grapevines can occur from early
growth stages of the vines through to flowering and
fruit set. If frost occurs at any of these stages, it will
result in economic losses and may also affect
production in the subsequent season.
Botrytis and powdery mildew can cause substantial
economic loss through the reduction of grape yield
and downgrading of fruit quality. Managing both
fungal pathogens can be a challenge as many factors
contribute to infection and disease development.
Conventional approaches to managing both frost and
fungi involve regular monitoring of internet weather
sites and observing the farm and plant conditions.
Integrated practices are then used to manage the
constraints, including planting sensitive varieties in
appropriate sites and applying fungicides to reduce
disease risk; and applying overhead irrigation and
cutting ground cover to mitigate against frost.
Managing these production constraints requires local
knowledge, while management practices are labour
intensive and time consuming.
The technology Researchers from the CSIRO and the Tasmanian
Institute of Agriculture (TIA) at the University of
Tasmania, have worked closely with Wine Tasmania
and local vineyards to develop a solution for
managing the risk of frost and disease — enabled
by Sense-T technology.
The system starts with sensors that monitor
environmental data, such as relative humidity, soil
temperature and moisture, and leaf wetness, which
are used to describe conditions influencing grape
yield and fruit composition.
Sense-T integrates the environmental data with
forecast information from the Bureau of Meteorology
that growers can then access using a web-based app
(VitiApp) that will provide patch or block- specific
weather-based risks for frost, botrytis, powdery
mildew and other production issues.
Kathy Evans is the Convenor, Industry Development
and Extension at TIA, involved with the development
of Sense-T.
“VitiApp tells a farmer what’s happening in their
environment right now.
“The system combines data from multiple types and
locations of sensors with a wealth of research on
diseases to provide actionable knowledge for
viticulture growers.”
When user-specified thresholds are exceeded, such
as a minimum temperature for a frost event, warnings
will be sent to farmers by SMS, email or via the app.
Monitoring levels are based on the density of the
sensors placed on a farm, meaning farmers can hone
in on particular blocks of their property that may
require higher or different levels of management.
VitiApp enables the
integration of data
from years of research
with cutting-edge
technology to inform
production decisions.
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
11
Transformative technologies
Internet of things
Case study
Contact detailsDr Katherine Evans
E: Katherine.Evans.utas.edu.au
T: 03 6226 6364
W: www.utas.edu.au/tia and
www.sense-T.org.au
Photo - Matthew Pooley, Pooley Wines Tasmania
The benefits Growers using the system are more pro-active
when armed with real-time information. Use of
the technology can also strengthen the working
relationships of people involved in a farm business,
as with accurate real-time data they can justify
decisions for extra labour, materials and logistics,
Kathy explained.
“A farmer will receive advice from the app to say
conditions have been very conducive for a particular
disease, even though you may not see it. So it is
power in the grower’s hands and each grower can
personalise the alert threshold for disease or frost.”
By accumulating data for several years, patterns and
trends may be seen that were not apparent before,
giving more insight into managing the business.
“Growers can transpose data and decisions from
similar past seasons to learn from experience and
update their management practices.”
Use of the app enables remote monitoring, which
can provide reassurance when not on site and can
also lead to greater working efficiencies and free
people up to do other activities.
“The technology can also be used to determine
growing conditions for new production sites.”
The future VitiApp is in the final stages of pre-commercial
development. Kathy and her team are actively
seeking partners to commercialise and deliver
the app in Tasmania and beyond.
“The next challenge is to roll it out to other regions
in Australia and to adapt the tool to other plant
production based industries.
“The system forms the building blocks for an internet
of things as it is scalable, where a vineyard block
becomes a field, an orchard block or an irrigation
circle. It is also applicable to other crops — it just
needs different support information for the relevant
production constraints in each industry.
“It is also quite feasible to integrate the Sense-T
infrastructure with third party technology to increase
its usability.”
Kathy foresees the next step change will be integrating
the sensor technology with artificial intelligence to
provide tailored information to growers using predictive
capabilities based on historical or forecast data.
The use of sensor technology
and cloud computing in the
viticulture industry ensures
the delivery of consistent,
high-value product.
The Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation (RIRDC) invests in research and development to support rural industries to be productive, profitable and sustainable. RIRDC’s National Rural Issues program delivers independent, trusted and timely research to inform industry and government leaders who influence the operating environment of Australia’s rural industries. This research informs policy development and implementation, identifies future opportunities and risks, and covers multiple industries and locations.
Published by the Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation, C/- Charles Sturt University, Locked Bag 588, Wagga Wagga NSW 2678, August 2016
© Rural Industries Research & Development Corporation, 2016. This publication is copyright. No part may be reproduced by any process except in accordance with the provisions of the Copyright Act 1968.
ISBN 978-1-74254-885-2
RIRDC publication no. 16/039
Please note This fact sheet has been developed through research of publicly available information and interviews with industry participants and experts. The content is for general information purposes only and should not be relied upon for investment decisions. Case studies were prepared from interviews conducted in 2016 and reflect the use of the technology at that time.
More information � What the internet of things (IoT) needs to
become a reality
www.nxp.com/files/32bit/doc/white_paper/
INTOTHNGSWP.pdf
� Home tweet home
accan.org.au/our-work/research/1154-home-
tweet-home
� Sense-T, www.sense-t.org.au/
� Australian Farm Institute ‘The implications of
digital agriculture and big data for Australian
agriculture’ (for purchase)
www.farminstitute.org.au/research-program/
research-reports.html
Series detailsThis fact sheet is one of a series on new and emerging
transformative technologies in Australian agriculture.
You may also be interested in reading about:
� Sensors
� Robots
� 3D printing
� Nanomaterials
� Artificial intelligence
EnquiriesE: [email protected]
W: www.rirdc.gov.au
The components of the food and fibre
supply chain that may be transformed by the
internet of things.
Processing
Farm operations
Natural resources
Consumers
Labour and skills
Logisitics
Inputs