16 Mar 2020

AGCURA Digital Innovation as a Solution for Thai Farmers

IoT or the Internet of Things is a technology that allows all smart devices to connect and transfer data between each other via the internet. Once a technology we were unfamiliar with, today it is now used by everyone in their daily lives, thanks to 4G technology, and Cloud Storage, a gigantic data storage that is accessible anytime and anywhere.

Digital technology has become crucial in increasing efficiency and solving problems in various industries around the world. Agriculture, which is of great importance to the Thai economy, is one of the industries that digital technology is being implemented to develop the innovative solution for farmers.

Innovation in Agricultural Water Management

Agcura integrates sensor technology with their agriculture expertise to create an innovation that help Thai farmers do their farming with precision, and sustainability. Agcura team started by surveying farmers nationwide about the problems they are facing. Three major problems that were frequently brought up are the unpredicable weather, drought, and resource management. The team noticed that all the problems are related to ‘water’, an essential factor affecting the quality of the products and costs.

Water management requires the expertise, experiences, and wisdom, passed down from generation to generation. However, with the environment constantly changing, the important question is how can farmers know the optimal amount of water to use or the best time to water their plants?

How Agcura Works?

Agcura uses sensors to measure the moisture level of the soil, relative humidity, and temperature to calculate the right amount of water for the plant with regard to condition of the soil. The result is then sent as notification to the user. This allows farmers to have reliable information in their decision making and enables them to control their crops more conveniently.

Agcura is simple to use, farmers starts by inputting information about their plants and soil to find out the most suitable condition for them. Next, the first tool within the ecosystem, ‘Gateway’ is set up, a hub that can be connected to the internet through WiFi, LAN cable, or an Aircard.

The second tool is a sensor, which is installed at the same depth as root of the plant for the most accurate readings, used to measure the moisture level of the soil, relative humidity, and temperature. These three factors are important in calculating the quantity of water the plants need. Once the data is collected, the information would be sent over to the Gateway by each sensor. One gateway can accommodate 30 sensors within a kilometer radius.

Data from the gateway will be collected in a database with teams of analysts working on presenting raw data and information in ways that are easy to understand, using color coded visuals to represent the moisture level of the soil in real time. The information can be used to decide watering quantity and frequency.

Using information provided by Agcura, farmers have a better water management efficiency, especially during a drought. The accurate readings of moisture levels from the sensors allows farmers to tailor their watering schedules by crops, resulting in high quality produce. As some plants, if they get too much water, they would produce little or no produce. Likewise, if there isn’t enough water, plants will not achieve full growth. Examining the surface of the soil is not enough to indicate whether or not a plant is getting enough water, and watering without knowing the right amount of water will inevitably affect the textures and shapes of fruits causing them to be different from what the market is looking for.

Agcura’s high-quality sensors, an easy set-up process, and application are designed with the needs of farmers in mind. It is easy to understand, provides complete and concise information, can track the old data and offers notification if anything goes wrong. Currently, it is available in Thai, English and Vietnam.

Digital Transformation and Services for the Future.

Apart from sensors and processing systems used to decide the right amount of water for plants, Agcura also collects data to offer entire solutions for new generations of farmers. For example, connecting data with the automatic watering system or controlling the system through the mobile application, they will solve the problems with workforce and logistical issues if the crop is far away. The system also acts as an observer and gives a brief report which is convenient for future farm management of a big organization.

For clients who are interested in the water management system, Agcura is in partnership with SCG’s pipe business and offers setup services on both agricultural and Agcura systems.

Innovations by Agcura aren’t limited to farmers. Entrepreneurs in other industries can apply Agcura’s inventions and ideas with a big garden or golf course for the best results.

Agcura is one of SCG’s businesses originating from the idea of implementing digital technology to develop new business that answers to customer’s needs. The innovations come from the research on problems that farmers using plastic pipes have faced. The solutions to those problems are just some examples of Digital Transformation in which digital technology helps every industry including agriculture to make the best use of resources.

For more information about Agcura, please visit
www.facebook.com/agcura.th/
083 012 4294
agcura.th@gmail.com
LINE @agcura

AGCURA Digital Innovation as a Solution for Thai Farmers

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