The Role of IoT in Agriculture in Sri Lankan Context: A Comprehensive Review

The integration of the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies into Sri Lankan agriculture offers transformative opportunities to improve the resilience, efficiency, and sustainability of predominantly crop production and livestock systems, which are highly vulnerable to climate variability and resource constraints. This review systematically examined the application of IoT in key agricultural domains such as smart irrigation, real-time crop health monitoring, livestock management, and supply chain optimization within the unique agroecological and socio-economic context of Sri Lanka. By enabling continuous data acquisition through sensors and applying advanced analytics, IoT solutions facilitate precise water and nutrient management, early detection of crop diseases and animal health issues, and the minimization of losses during postharvest and post-production stages. Drawing upon empirical research and pilot initiatives conducted locally, this paper identifies several critical barriers to IoT adoption, including inadequate rural infrastructure, high initial investment costs, and insufficient digital literacy among farmers and livestock keepers. The study further proposed actionable recommendations including the development of supportive policy frameworks, expansion of rural internet connectivity, and the implementation of comprehensive farmer and livestock owner training programs to enhance technology uptake. The findings highlighted that successful scaling of IoT innovations requires collaborative efforts between government agencies, private technology providers, and academic institutions to develop cost-effective, scalable, and context-specific solutions. Future research should prioritize the design of affordable, user-friendly IoT systems that address both crop and livestock production challenges, ultimately advancing sustainable agriculture and strengthening food security in Sri Lanka.