IoT-Enabled Smart Agriculture: Architectures, Applications, and Future Directions

Abstract

Introduction/Importance of Study: The integration of Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into agriculture has become essential to tackle challenges of food security, climate change, and resource optimization.

Novelty statement: This study introduces the novelty of a unified, low-cost, and modular IoT framework that addresses gaps in scalability, interoperability, and affordability, particularly in developing agricultural regions.

Material and Method: A systematic literature review was conducted across IEEE Xplore, SpringerLink, ScienceDirect, MDPI, and Google Scholar, focusing on twelve peer-reviewed studies published between 2019 and 2024. Comparative thematic analysis was applied to examine IoT architectures, communication protocols, and practical implementations.

Result and Discussion: Findings highlight that IoT systems commonly adopt a three-layer architecture (perception, network, and application), with LoRa, Zigbee, and fog computing models offering reliable rural connectivity. Reported outcomes include 30–40% water savings through smart irrigation, 15–20% yield increases with IoT-based monitoring, and up to 16% energy efficiency improvements in optimized wireless sensor networks. Despite these advances, challenges remain in cost, interoperability, farmer training, and security mechanisms. Current frameworks also lack adaptability across diverse farming contexts, limiting scalability and long-term sustainability.

Concluding Remarks: IoT-enabled agriculture offers significant potential to enhance sustainability and productivity, but future research must prioritize modular platforms, lightweight AI integration, energy harvesting, and context-specific deployment strategies.