Revolutionizing Agriculture with LoRa: Intelligent Crop Monitoring and Autonomous Irrigation

As the global population surpasses 7.2 billion and continues to grow, the persistent threat of food scarcity intensifies, necessitating the advancement of agricultural methodologies.  This study introduces a comprehensive smart farming framework utilizing LoRa technology to address water scarcity and optimize resource usage.  The developed prototype employs dual ESP32 ARDUINO and LoRa boards: one interfaced with environmental sensors within the field to measure temperature, soil moisture, and water flow, and a secondary one positioned within a 10 km radius connected via WiFi.  The collected data is transmitted to BLYNK Platform for analysis, enabling precise, automated control of irrigation systems, thus saving farmers' time, costs, and energy.  This system, tested in Morocco, specifically in the Doukkala region, a diverse agricultural area, where agriculture is integral to the economy, leverages IoT and sensor technologies to transform traditional farming practices.  The suite of sensors deployed ensures optimal watering of crops.  Managed through a mobile application with cloud integration, the system provides a robust solution even in areas of low internet connectivity.  Utilizing renewable energy, this approach offers a resilient, accessible means for farmers to gauge environmental compatibility, supported by a dedicated information-providing website.  This paper demonstrates that intelligent crop monitoring combined with autonomous irrigation constitutes a scalable and effective solution for achieving sustainable agriculture in an increasingly populous world.