Design and implementation of an agricultural monitoring system for smart farming

The integration of modern information technologies into industrial agriculture has already contributed to yield increases in the last decades. Nowadays, the emerging Internet of Things (IoT) along with Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs) with their low-cost sensors and actors enable novel applications and new opportunities for a more precise, site-specific, and sustainable agriculture in the context of Smart Farming. In this paper, we present a holistic agricultural monitoring system, its design, and its architectural implementation. The system primarily focuses on in-situ assessment of the leaf area index (LAI), a very important crop parameter. Moreover, we introduce real-world challenges and experiences gained in various deployments. Finally, first results are exemplarily demonstrated in order to briefly address the potential of our system.