In this article, we are going over a new kind of Precision Ag technology called LoRaWAN. LoRaWAN smart agriculture technology is a way of sensing information over long distances with very low power. LoRa stands for Long Range (the radio/modulation), and LoRaWAN is the networking protocol that rides on top of LoRa to move sensor data securely to the cloud.

You can put sensors out in the field and have a transmitter there running on just batteries, and the batteries can last many months to multiple years (often ~2 years or more depending on how often it sends data, radio settings, and environment). In addition, you need to have a receiver called a gateway (with an antenna) which is usually within about 5–7 miles in rural areas under good conditions (line-of-sight, proper mounting, and antennas matter). The gateway needs an internet connection. The gateway enables you to access the data anywhere globally, as long as you have access to the internet.

LoRaWAN Smart Agriculture Technology

No spectrum license is required! LoRaWAN uses unlicensed ISM bands (for example, 915 MHz in the US, 868 MHz in the EU). However, devices must comply with local regulations (e.g., FCC Part 15 in the US / ETSI in the EU) for power limits and duty-cycle/fair-use rules. The main costs are equipment and connectivity backhaul (e.g., your internet/power for gateways and any cloud/app services). Once you get it set up, there’s no per-message spectrum fee. The equipment typically includes sensors in the field and one or more gateways wherever you have access to the internet and electricity.

Here are a few examples:

Dragino LHT65 LoRaWAN Temperature & Humidity sensor

It includes a built-in SHT20 temperature & humidity sensor and has an external connector to attach sensors such as a temperature probe, soil moisture sensor, tilting sensor, etc.

Dragino LDS02 — LoRaWAN Door Sensor

It detects door open/close status and uplinks to the LoRaWAN network. The LDS01 is compact (about 64 × 30 × 14 mm).
LDS01 is powered by a CR2032 coin battery; in good LoRaWAN coverage it can send thousands of uplinks on a single battery (e.g., up to ~12,000 with light, infrequent reporting). In poor coverage, battery life drops significantly. The design goal for one battery is up to ~1 year depending on conditions.

Dragino AQS01 — LoRaWAN Air Quality Sensor

The Dragino AQS01 is a LoRaWAN smart agriculture air-quality sensor. It measures TVOC (Total Volatile Organic Compounds), eCO₂ (equivalent CO₂), temperature, and relative humidity, then uploads to your IoT server via the LoRaWAN protocol.

Security on the Farm

Other examples would be for security on a farm. If you have a farmstead several miles away and a fuel tank there, you can add a liquid level sensor to alert you if fuel drops unexpectedly during the night.
You can also set up the system so your application sends text messages, push notifications, or emails when events happen (for example, a door opens in the middle of the night). LoRaWAN itself doesn’t send SMS; your app/cloud integrates with SMS or notification services.

Monitoring Livestock

There are GPS tags/collars that you can put on animals to report location at an interval you choose (e.g., every 15 minutes).
These tags are a little more expensive today depending on features like GPS, accelerometer, and enclosure). That can be pricey for an entire herd, but it can make sense for selected animals or high-value assets.

The cost involved in the LoRaWAN smart agriculture technology: sensors range widely by type and build.

The gateways typically range from about $100 to $400+, depending on capabilities (indoor vs. outdoor, cellular backhaul, number of channels, and build quality). Proper antenna selection and mounting height can significantly improve coverage.

LoRaWAN is a technology used to monitor your assets, monitor your livestock, monitor your crops. And if anyone is interested in learning more about it or getting some specifics, please contact us at [email protected].