Reliable Internet Connectivity Key to Precision Irrigation Success, University Study Finds

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FORMOSA NEWS - Yogyakarta - The effectiveness of modern "smart farming" depends as much on stable internet connections as it does on high-tech sensors. This finding comes from a new study by researchers Nurwahdaniah Maulida and Joko Sutopo at the Universitas Teknologi Yogyakarta, published in the 2026 edition of the Indonesian Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Analytics (IJAEA). Their research highlights a critical vulnerability in precision agriculture: when network stability falters, the data used to make irrigation decisions can become misleading, potentially risking crop health and wasting water resources.

The Digital Backbone of Modern Farming

As global agriculture faces increasing pressure from water scarcity and climate change, precision irrigation has emerged as a vital solution. By using the Internet of Things (IoT), farmers can monitor soil moisture in real-time, ensuring plants receive exactly the amount of water they need. This data-driven approach shifts farming from reactive habits to predictive management, significantly reducing water waste.

However, Maulida and Sutopo point out that the success of these systems is often undermined by poor network infrastructure in rural areas. If the "digital backbone"—the Wi-Fi or cellular connection—is unstable, the historical data used to analyze long-term soil trends becomes fragmented and unreliable.

Testing the Limits of IoT Monitoring

To understand this relationship, the researchers at Universitas Teknologi Yogyakarta developed a monitoring system using an ESP32 microcontroller and a capacitive soil moisture sensor. Unlike cheaper sensors that corrode quickly, capacitive sensors offer better durability for long-term agricultural use.

The system was programmed to send soil moisture readings to a web server every 30 seconds. The researchers then deliberately analyzed how common network issues—such as latency (delays), packet loss (missing data), and downtime (complete disconnection)—distorted the visual graphs on the farmer's dashboard.

Key Findings: How Bad Connections Distort Reality

The study identified several ways that network instability directly harms irrigation monitoring:

• Latency Spikes: Researchers observed latency jumping from an average of 226 ms to as high as 1,320 ms. This caused the dashboard graphs to "freeze" or appear stagnant because new data arrived too late to be processed in sequence.
• Data Gaps from Packet Loss: Even a small packet loss of 0.24% (losing just 2 out of 840 data packets) created visible "gaps" in the time-series graphs. These missing pieces of information can obscure the true rate at which soil is drying out.
• Irregular Transmission Intervals: While the system was set to update every 30 seconds, weak signals caused delays of up to 75 seconds. This resulted in "jittery" graphs that made it difficult for farmers to identify smooth moisture trends.
• The Impact of Downtime: Complete connection failures, averaging 5 minutes per incident, were the most critical disruptions, as they halted the monitoring process entirely.

Implications for Policy and Industry

The research emphasizes that for digital agriculture to succeed in Indonesia, technology providers and policymakers must prioritize network reliability. "Successful monitoring is determined not only by sensor accuracy... but also by network performance as the data transmission medium," state Maulida and Sutopo.

For the agricultural industry, the findings suggest that IoT devices should include "local buffering"—the ability to store data temporarily on the device during a signal outage and upload it later once the connection is restored. This would ensure that farmers always have a complete and accurate history of their soil's condition, regardless of temporary internet hiccups.

Author Profiles

• Nurwahdaniah Maulida: A researcher at the Informatics Department, Faculty of Science and Technology, Universitas Teknologi Yogyakarta. Her work focuses on IoT systems and data visualization for environmental monitoring.
• Joko Sutopo: A senior researcher and academic at Universitas Teknologi Yogyakarta specializing in information technology and its applications in precision agriculture and smart systems.

Source Research Maulida, N., & Sutopo, J. (2026). Analysis of IoT-Based Soil Moisture Data Visualization and Network Stability Effects on Precision Irrigation Monitoring. Indonesian Journal of Agriculture and Environmental Analytics (IJAEA), Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 49-68. DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/ijaea.v5i1.15882.