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About the Project

 

Advances in sensor and wireless radio frequency technologies and their convergence to the internet offer significant opportunities for the development and applications of sensor networks for Florida’s agriculture.

The main goal of this research is to pilot and develop robust applications of these technologies to help producers improve management of water resources and diseases in vegetable crops. This project has been founded by Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (FDACS).

A wireless sensor network (WSN) has been designed according to specifications of the target applications including disease management and irrigation control and implemented in a laboratory environment. Field testing will start in July of 2016 at the IFAS Gulf Coast Research and Education Center (GCREC) located in Balm, FL.

Initially we will test the WSN designed for improved disease management in collaboration with Dr. Natalia Peres. In a second phase we will test the WSN designed for irrigation control at the Hastings Agricultural Extension Center (HREC), in collaboration with Dr. Lincoln Zotarelli.