As the global population grows and resources become scarcer, efficient and sustainable agriculture is more important than ever. “Smart agriculture” uses new technologies like autonomous tractors, drones, resource optimization systems, robots for harvesting, smart greenhouses, and livestock monitoring to increase yields, reduce costs and improve profitability while addressing climate change challenges.
Artificial intelligence (AI) helps farmers optimize irrigation, fertilization, and crop protection through satellite data, enabling precision agriculture that improves yield prediction and soil health. In animal husbandry, sensors detect diseases or injuries early to prevent problems.
Examples from the Internet of Things (IoT) in agriculture include weed detection with over 96% accuracy, plant disease identification above 85%, fruit ripeness detection over 98%, size and quality sorting above 89%, and water use reduction up to 50%. The global market for IoT in agriculture is expected to exceed $33 billion by 2032.
In fruit growing, mechanization and digital innovation are critical for improving labor productivity and profitability. The Yield Hunter project introduced smart glasses combining AI and augmented reality (AR) to assist workers during fruit harvesting, increasing efficiency, reducing waste, and generating data for orchard management. The project is testing prototypes and negotiating pilot projects internationally, targeting the largely under-digitized fruit and vegetable sector.
Another example is Cropt, a spinoff from the BioSens Institute, developing AI-driven crop growth modeling using satellite, meteorological, soil, and field data. Their “Space Garden” platform analyzes these data to identify crop types, assess risks, detect damage, and forecast yields in real time. Cropt serves business users like farmers, distributors, seed companies, banks, and insurers.
Connecting technology with sustainability is crucial for future food security. Slobodan Krstić, president of the e-Development Association, highlights challenges like climate change and rural depopulation and stresses the role of AI, IoT, and digital platforms in making agriculture more precise and economical. Serbia is currently in the early stages of adopting these technologies, needing more education, better access, and encouragement for farmers. The e-Development Association works to bridge technology developers with farmers to accelerate digital transformation in agriculture.
