fbpx

Storage Facilities

How to Preserve Agricultural Products Without Losses

Task

When exporting organically grown agricultural products abroad, farmers continuously seek ways to improve the storage conditions and shelf life of grains, fruits, and berries to maintain product quality. An analysis of typical storage environments in vegetable warehouses shows that temperature and humidity are often not monitored, and proper ventilation is not maintained. The microclimate control systems in these facilities are frequently operated manually, which significantly affects product preservation.

Solution

Our specialists proposed a cost-effective LoRaWAN base station model for installation in one of the storage facilities. Despite being located in a semi-underground area with challenging radio signal conditions, a single station can cover the entire warehouse. Additionally, a network of wireless sensors can be deployed, including:

  • Devices for measuring air humidity and temperature in each storage zone for different crops, including cold chambers — iotji offers special sensors designed for low-temperature environments.

  • Door and ventilation duct open/close sensors.

  • Motion sensors for access control and automatic lighting.

  • Current sensors on electric motors to monitor the operation of ventilation and refrigeration equipment.

For visualization and control, iotji provides software from one of our technology partners. It enables users to manage microclimate equipment in storage facilities remotely, via a mobile device or a computer in the office.

The wireless LoRaWAN technology ensures coverage across large areas, with sensor batteries operating for 3 to 5 years without replacement.

Result

Implementing a monitoring and remote control system for storage conditions in potato, fruit, and berry warehouses reduces product losses and optimizes energy consumption for facility maintenance. The temperature monitoring system in storage areas extends the shelf life of fruits and vegetables — not only in warehouses but also on store shelves. This improvement directly increases sales volumes and drives the development of the storage facility as a business.

Moreover, the LoRaWAN network reduces the workload on farmers, freeing time for other essential tasks. The refrigeration equipment monitoring system helps ensure continuous operation and prevents critical failures, contributing to more reliable and efficient agricultural logistics.