Technology adoption doesn’t always happen overnight, but when the results speak for themselves, tradition and innovation go hand in hand. The use of sensors in agriculture is proving that it is possible to farm with greater precision and fewer risks. Discover the story of Sergio Canto and the youth of the Green Valley Farmers organization, who transformed the skepticism of older generations into a resounding productive success using a simple device connected to their smartphones.
“In farming, you know you can lose everything at any moment. If you plant blindly, you have nothing to guide you; but this sensor is helping us a lot and encourages us to plant without fear.” — Sergio Canto.
The problem: The risk of watering blindly
For the Green Valley Farmers, cultivating melons and seeds is a constant challenge due to their high sensitivity to climate and water. Excess moisture in the soil can quickly trigger fatal root diseases, ruining months of hard work and family investment. Historically, irrigation and fertilization were based purely on intuition, keeping producers in constant uncertainty regarding potential crop losses.
The solution: Sensors in agriculture right at your fingertips
Determined to change this productive reality, the cooperative’s youth implemented the use of sensors in agriculture two years ago through the Milesight device. Through a free mobile app called Toolbox Milesight, farmers can now monitor three critical soil parameters in real time:
- Moisture.
- Temperature.
- Conductivity (the level of salts and minerals in the soil).
This agricultural technology allows them to irrigate and nourish their plots with pinpoint accuracy. “We add [nutrients] when it asks for them, and when it has too much, we just don’t. We guide ourselves based on the sensor,” explains Sergio, highlighting how they have managed to minimize productive losses.
A generational handover driven by results
Introducing sensors in family farming was not a hurdle-free process. At first, older farmers didn’t trust the device and paid little attention to the initial training sessions.
However, the evidence in the field was undeniable. Once they noticed that the technology actually worked and increased yields by keeping losses to an absolute minimum, the cultural resistance vanished. Today, it is the veteran farmers themselves who are asking for more sensors to connect their plots.
The bridge to a technological future
The impact of this tool has inspired Sergio to look beyond his own crops. His current goal is to transfer this knowledge and promote the use of sensors in agriculture among new generations: “We are interested in passing it on to our community and to the youth who are coming up next… throughout the country, since it is a piece of technology that can move us forward.”
About the Nexus Rural 2026 Award
Are you using mobile apps, drones, or sensors in agriculture to improve production in your rural community just like Sergio does? The Nexus Rural 2026 Award, an initiative promoted by the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and PROCASUR, is looking for youth aged 18 to 35 in Latin America and the Caribbean to boost their ideas.
Apply with your tech initiative and get access to $3,500 USD in seed capital and 40 hours of specialized mentorship to scale your project. Family farming needs your digital talent!
👉 Start your application today: nexusrural.org
