Semtech’s LoRa chip-to-cloud platform is improving sustainability for durian farmers in Malaysia.

The California firm’s devices and gateways are using LoRaWan technology to help to improve farming practices, lower operational costs and increase crop yields.

Smart farming firm Sustainable Hrvest has deployed LoRa-enabled sensors and LoRaWan-based gateways across its durian fruit farms in greater Malaysia. While one of the country’s most popular fruits, durian trees are difficult to grow and harvest.

These plants are sensitive to weather and moisture conditions and need round-the-clock maintenance for high yield. LoRa-enabled sensors now give Malaysian farmers real-time data on the health of their farms every step of the growth cycle from pre-harvest, harvest, until post-harvest. This real-time visibility has made farmers’ lives easier, while helping improve their bottom line.

Semtech’s LoRa chipsets connect sensors to the cloud and enable real-time communication of data and analytics. This instantaneous management helps enhance the efficiency and productivity of sustainable IoT use cases. Globally, there are more than 300 million LoRa end nodes deployed across a wide array of applications from agriculture and healthcare to industrial and transportation, and more.

“We founded this company to address the farming barriers and pain points here in Malaysia,” said Han Wei, chief technology officer at Sustainable Hrvest. “To better serve our community, we knew that we needed to improve farming practices, reduce operational costs, and help farmers deliver better yields. LoRa was an easy choice for our team. One of our biggest farms, Musang Valley Plantation, is more than 700 acres with 11,000 durian trees. The land includes many steep hillsides which make managing the crops challenging. LoRa monitors the trees, alerts the farmer if there is an issue, and allows them to take immediate action. This response saves not only time, but also mitigates potential tree loss and revenue. Sustainable IoT and LoRa have completely overhauled farming in Malaysia.”

Currently, there are 30 LoRa-powered farms in Malaysia with new plantations expected to go live in the coming 12 months. Designed by Sustainable Hrvest, the IoT nodes using LoRaWan implement LoRa’s low power, long range sensors and last upwards of four years in the field without needing replacement. This purpose-built chip-to-cloud sensor platform monitors the flow rate and pressure of irrigation systems to maintain soil moisture levels. It also tracks the nutrients in the soil. The data-driven farming practice gives Malaysian farmers the ability to care for their crops remotely and helps deliver a more sustainable planet for future generations.

Sustainable Hrvest is a pioneer of smart farming, focusing on application in durian farming. It provides services for agricultural especially for the durian industry and indoor vertical farming. Its headquarters are in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and it has digitally transformed agriculture of plantation using technologies such as IoT, machine learning and big data. The firm works with crops specialist and operation teams to find best practices and ideal soil data from pre-harvest, harvest and post-harvest.