How LTE Modems Reshape Smart Agriculture: In-Depth Practice and Technological Innovation in Remote Control of Irrigation Systems
As the global population surpasses 8 billion and climate change intensifies, agriculture faces unprecedented resource constraints and efficiency challenges. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) reveals that agriculture accounts for 70% of global water usage, yet irrigation efficiency remains below 40%. The coexistence of water wastage and drought-induced shortages has become a critical pain point in the industry. Meanwhile, rising labor costs and fragmented land management further hinder the transition from traditional to modern agriculture.
The rise of LTE modems provides essential infrastructure support for smart agriculture. Serving as a "digital bridge" connecting field sensors, controllers, and cloud platforms, LTE modems enable irrigation systems to transition from "human experience-driven" to "data intelligence-driven" operations through real-time data collection, remote command dissemination, and edge computing capabilities. This article takes the Cat-1 LTE modem G771 as an example to analyze how it empowers remote control of irrigation systems through three core mechanisms and explores the technological pathways and future trends for smart agriculture implementation.
Traditional irrigation relies on farmers' subjective judgments based on weather and soil moisture to determine irrigation timing and volume, lacking precise data support. For instance, the "flood irrigation" method commonly used in northern wheat-growing regions applies 2-3 times more water than crops actually need, leading to frequent issues such as groundwater overexploitation and soil salinization. Statistics show that China's agricultural sector wastes over 100 billion cubic meters of water annually, equivalent to twice the annual water transfer volume of the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project.
Irrigation systems in large farms or cooperatives often cover thousands of acres, with valves and pump stations scattered across vast areas. Farmers must inspect equipment status and adjust irrigation plans by riding bicycles or driving vehicles, which is time-consuming and labor-intensive. Moreover, it is difficult to respond to sudden weather changes (e.g., failing to shut off irrigation before rainstorms). A manager of a cotton cooperative in Xinjiang stated, "During summer heatwaves, we need to assign four people daily to inspect irrigation equipment, with labor costs accounting for over 15% of operational expenses."
In traditional irrigation systems, soil moisture sensors, weather stations, solenoid valves, and other equipment often come from different manufacturers and use heterogeneous protocols such as Modbus, RS485, and CAN, making data interoperability difficult. Farmers must monitor equipment status through multiple independent platforms, preventing global optimization and further reducing system efficiency.
As a critical component of the Internet of Things (IoT) architecture, LTE modems perform four key functions: data collection, protocol conversion, wireless transmission, and edge computing. In irrigation systems, LTE modems enable remote control and intelligent decision-making through the following mechanisms:
LTE modems can connect to soil moisture sensors, weather stations, water level gauges, flow meters, and other devices to collect real-time data on key parameters such as soil moisture, air temperature and humidity, light intensity, and rainfall. For example, the Cat-1 LTE modem G771 supports multi-interfaces including RS485, RS232, and analog inputs, ensuring compatibility with mainstream agricultural sensor brands. A single device can integrate over 16 sensors, covering all monitoring needs for irrigation scenarios.
To address protocol fragmentation in agricultural equipment, LTE modems incorporate protocol conversion engines that translate industrial protocols such as Modbus RTU, CANopen, and DL/T 645 into unified MQTT or JSON formats for upload to cloud platforms via 4G/Cat-1 networks. Taking the G771 as an example, it supports both transparent transmission and custom protocol modes, enabling seamless integration of heterogeneous devices without requiring firmware modifications.
In scenarios with weak or disrupted network signals, LTE modems can leverage edge computing capabilities for localized control. For instance, when soil moisture falls below a threshold, the G771 can directly trigger solenoid valves to initiate irrigation while caching operation logs locally for synchronization with the cloud once connectivity is restored. This hybrid "cloud + edge" architecture ensures system reliability while reducing cloud server load.
Through integration with cloud platforms, LTE modems enable farmers to remotely monitor equipment status and adjust irrigation plans via mobile apps or web interfaces. For example, the G771 supports customizable alarm rules (e.g., soil moisture remaining below 30% for two hours), triggering SMS or app notifications. Users can issue commands such as "immediate irrigation" or "scheduled irrigation" with a single tap, with the system automatically executing and reporting results.
In complex agricultural environments, LTE modems must demonstrate high reliability, low power consumption, and ease of deployment. The Cat-1 LTE modem G771 incorporates the following innovative designs, making it an ideal choice for smart agriculture irrigation systems:
A vegetable cooperative in Shouguang operates 200 greenhouses where traditional irrigation relied on manual valve timing, resulting in over-irrigation (soil moisture up to 80%) in some areas and water shortages (below 20%) in others. In 2022, the cooperative deployed a smart irrigation system powered by Cat-1 LTE modem G771:
A 5,000-acre potato planting base in Inner Mongolia consumed over 2 million cubic meters of water per season using traditional flood irrigation. In 2023, the base introduced an LTE modem-driven drip irrigation system:
As 5G, AI, and digital twin technologies mature, LTE modems will evolve toward "greater intelligence, collaboration, and sustainability," further upgrading remote control of irrigation systems:
By combining historical data with weather forecasts, LTE modems can train machine learning models to predict soil moisture changes over the next 24 hours and adjust irrigation plans proactively. For example, systems could automatically shut off irrigation before rainstorms to prevent resource wastage.
Digital twin models of irrigation systems can simulate operational outcomes under different strategies in the cloud, optimizing sensor layouts and control parameters while reducing on-site debugging time and costs.
LTE modems can integrate energy consumption monitoring modules to record power and water usage data for irrigation systems, generating carbon footprint reports. This enables farmers to participate in carbon trading markets, diversifying revenue streams.
The transformation from "weather-dependent farming" to "data-driven agriculture" relies on foundational technological support. As a bridge connecting the physical and digital worlds, LTE modems enable irrigation systems to shift from "passive response" to "proactive optimization" through real-time data collection, remote control, and intelligent decision-making. Represented by the Cat-1 LTE modem G771, next-generation devices are unleashing significant potential despite their compact size, driving agriculture toward resource efficiency and environmental sustainability. As technologies continue to evolve, LTE modems will become an indispensable "nervous system" in the smart agriculture ecosystem, contributing critically to global food security and sustainable development.
