Typifying data required for the development of smart agriculture systems

Abstract

Smart agriculture is an active research field. Currently, many researchers are working on the construction of platforms directed to improve efficiency, crop processes, and data awareness. However, it is common that developers focus on data monitoring instead of the data relevance for decision making or the costs associated with the creation of monitoring platforms. In this paper, we present a classification of the data required by researchers on the construction of decision support systems applied to smart agriculture processes. By using this classification, the user can define which data are relevant according to the characteristics of the problem that needs to be solved. We have applied the classification to data recollected in a study case conducted by the end of last year. Besides, we identify a list of agronomic and climatic variables commonly used in the construction of decision support systems. We apply the classification to this list of variables as an example for researchers. As a conclusion, this typification permits the researcher to identify data that has to be monitored and controlled, and data that does not have to be measured, the later based on the data characteristics and utility for the farmer.