PROSPECTS OF APPLICATION OF LORAWAN TECHNOLOGY IN PRECISION AGRICULTURE TASKS IN THE CARPATHIAN REGION

Abstract

The present study reviews current trends and applications of LoRaWAN technology in precision agriculture. It provides examples from global practice and assesses the prospects for its adaptation to the conditions of Ukraine’s Precarpathian region. The research is based on a detailed analysis of a wide range of sources, including international scientific publications, practical case studies of LoRaWAN network deployments in the agricultural sector of various countries, and successful initiatives for digitalizing agriculture. Special attention is paid to the advantages of LoRaWAN over other technologies—particularly its long range, low energy consumption, ease of network deployment, and the ability to create private IoT infrastructures. The study offers a comparative analysis of LoRaWAN’s technical characteristics against other popular wireless solutions on the market, including NB-IoT, Sigfox, Wi-Fi, and LTE-M, taking into account factors such as communication range, energy efficiency, throughput, data reliability, and the economic feasibility of their use in rural areas, especially in mountainous and foothill regions. Particular focus is given to the agro-ecological and climatic conditions of the Precarpathian region—its topography and soil characteristics (high acidity, heterogeneity)—which determine the specifics of implementing precision agriculture there. It has been shown that the deployment of LoRaWAN networks is an optimal solution for effective soil-acidity monitoring, enabling timely and accurate responses to environmental changes, conserving resources, and increasing crop yields. A typical architecture of an IoT-based agricultural monitoring system is presented, comprising sensor devices (soil-moisture, pH, and temperature sensors), data-transmission gateways, and cloud platforms for data storage, processing, and user interaction to support agronomic data analysis and real-time farm management. The system’s design and operating principles are described in detail, supported by figures and comparative tables illustrating the benefits of LoRaWAN versus other similar technologies. Practical recommendations for deploying LoRaWAN networks in the Precarpathian region are provided. Based on the review and analysis, it is concluded that implementing LoRaWAN technology represents a promising, economically and technologically justified solution that can foster the sustainable development of the region’s agricultural sector, improve its environmental performance, and enhance the competitiveness of local producers on both Ukrainian and international markets.