Enhancing Protected Agriculture with Smart Technologies: A Review of Innovations for Climate-Resilient Farming
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ijsa.v3i1.5313Keywords:
Climate Resilience, Precision Agriculture, Protected Agriculture, Smart Farming Technologies, Sustainable Food SystemsAbstract
The enhanced consequences of climate change increase the need for effective sustainability efforts. Protected agriculture, comprising greenhouses, net houses, and vertical farms, provides a good answer as it offers controlled buffers against climatic extremes that threaten crops. The use of smart technologies like IoT monitoring, AI, automation, blockchain and precision farming has advanced the possibilities of these systems. All of these work together to allow monitoring and real-time decision making, optimize resource usage, boost productivity, increase transparency and traceability within the supply chain. Some of the barriers that hinder change are the high costs, lack of technical skills, and limited infrastructure. This paper aims to systematically analyzes recent developments in protected agriculture and autonomous farming systems considering barriers to implementation and explore avenues such as innovative low-cost smart devices, renewable powered systems, and non-adaptive resilient crops integrated with sustainability focused climate policies. By highlighting these innovations, this paper will motivate policymakers, researchers, and practitioners towards devising climate-resilient food systems.
References
Adamu, I. I., Garba, S., & Gujungu, S. Z. (2025). Smart irrigation system for sustainable rice production in Northern Nigeria using wireless sensor network. Smart Land Use and Sustainable Technology, 10(1), 49–72. https://doi.org/10.56471/slujst.v10.106.pdf
Ahmad, S. (2025). Information and communication technologies in sustainable crop protection: Advancing towards sustainable agriculture. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, 1-11. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43538-025-00443-w
Ahmad, S., Wassay, M., & Hussain, M. A. (2025). Cloud computing: Empowering the next generation of agricultural research. Trends in Agricultural and Plant Sciences, 5(1), 12–19. https://doi.org/10.62324/TAPS/2025.060
Ahmad, T., Ahsan, S., & Farooq, M. A. (2024). Role of smart agriculture techniques in food security: A systematic review. Journal of Agronomy and Crop Science, 210(5),12758. https://doi.org/10.1111/jac.12758
Akhil, K., Renukaswamy, N. S., Sowjanya, J., Aruna, K. S., Bharthisha, S. M., & Dasannavar, G. (2025). Site-specific nutrient management: Revolutionizing fertilization for future farming. International Journal of Advanced Biochemistry Research, 9(3), 544-549. https://www.doi.org/10.33545/26174693.2025.v9.i3g.3995
Ali, K., & Benlamri, R. (2025). Changing landscape of agriculture: Innovative approaches for food security and sustainability in Qatar. Innovative Conservation Techniques and Perspectives, 3, 293-299. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-443-40490-0.00020-9
Angom, J., Viswanathan, P. K. (2023). Climate-smart agricultural practices and technologies in India and South Africa: Implications for climate change adaption and sustainable livelihoods. In S. Nautiyal, A.K. Gupta, M. Goswami & Y.D. Imran Khan (Eds.) The palgrave handbook of socio-ecological resilience in the face of climate change (pp.161-195). Singapore: Palgrave Macmillan.
Assimakopoulos, F., Vassilakis, C., Margaris, D., Kotis, K., & Spiliotopoulos, D. (2025). AI and related technologies in the fields of smart agriculture: A review. Information, 16, 100. https://doi.org/ 10.3390/info16020100
Atianashie, M., Obeng-Ofori, D., & Kuffour, M. K. (2025). The role of artificial intelligence and robotics in shaping the future of sustainable agriculture. Academia Engineering, 2, 1-3. https://doi.org/10.20935/AcadEng7626
Atif, M. (2024). The transformative role of blockchain technology in supply chain management. Journal of Engineering and Computational Intelligence Research, 2(2), 31-44.
Ayilara, M. S., Fasusi, S. A., Ajakwe, S. O., Akinola, S. A., Ayilara-Adewale, O. A., Ajakaye, A. E., Ayilara, O. A., & Babalola, O. O. (2025). Impact of climate change on agricultural ecosystem. Climate Change, Food Security and Natural Resource Management, 1-24. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-71164-0_22-1
Aziz, D., Rafiq, S., Saini, P., Ahad, I., Gonal, B., Rehman, S.A., Rashid, S., Saini, P., Rohela, G.K., Aalum, K., & Singh, G. (2025). Remote sensing and artificial intelligence: Revolutionizing pest management in agriculture. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9, 1551460. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1551460
Baumüller, H., Fatunbi, A. O., & von Braun, J. (2025). Innovations for sustainable food systems in Africa. PARI Research Partner.
Bevan, M. W., Uauy, C., Wulff, B. B. H., Zhou, J., Krasileva, K., & Clark, M. D. (2017). Genomic innovation for crop improvement. Nature, 543, 346–354. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature22011
Bhattacharya, N., Bansal, D. (2025). Redefining the Agri-food Landscape: The Role of Digital Agriculture and Precision Farming in Mitigating Climate Change Impacts on Agri-food Sector. In: P.K. Dutta, A. Hamad, A.K. Haghi & P.K. Prabhakar (Eds.), Food and industry 5.0: Transforming the food system for a sustainable future (pp. 317-341). https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76758-6_20
Botero-Valencia, J., García-Pineda, V., Valencia-Arias, A., Valencia, J., Reyes-Vera, E., Mejia-Herrera, M., & Hernández-García, R. (2025). Machine learning in sustainable agriculture: Systematic review and research perspectives. Agriculture, 15(4), 377. https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture15040377
Bronson, K. (2019). Looking through a responsible innovation lens at uneven engagements with digital farming. NJAS - Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 90–91, 100294. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.njas.2019.03.001
Casino, F., Dasaklis, T. K., & Patsakis, C. (2019). A systematic literature review of blockchain-based applications: Current status, classification and open issues. Telematics and Informatics, 36, 55–81. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2018.11.006
Deichmann, U., Goyal, A., & Mishra, D. (2016). Will digital technologies transform agriculture in developing countries? Agricultural Economics, 47(S1), 21–33.
Dileep, A. M., & Kavitha, J. C. (2025). Smart sensors for precision agriculture. In Digital farming and smart agriculture for sustainable future (pp. 187-205). Chapman and Hall/CRC
Ferrández-Pastor, F. J., García-Chamizo, J. M., Nieto-Hidalgo, M., Mora-Pascual, J. & Mora-Martínez, J. (2016). Developing ubiquitous sensor network platform using Internet of Things: Application in precision agriculture. Sensors, 16(7), 1141. https://doi.org/10.3390/s16071141
Gowda, V. D, Prabhu, M. S., Ramesha, M., Kudari, J. M., & Samal, A. (2021). Smart agri-culture and smart farming using IoT technology. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 2089(1). https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/2089/1/012038
Gryshova, I., Balian, A., Antonik, I., Miniailo, V., Nehodenko, V., & Nyzhnychenko, Y. (2024). Artificial intelligence in climate-smart agriculture: Toward a sustainable farming future. Access journal, 5(1), 125-140. https://doi.org/10.46656
Gupta, N., Gupta, P.K. (2024). Robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) in agriculture with major emphasis on food crops. In: P.M. Priyadarshan, S.M. Jain, S. Penna, & J.M. Al-Khayri (Eds.) Digital Agriculture (pp.577-605): Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-43548-5_19
Hayat, M. K., Khan, T. Y., Sial, T. N., Khan, H. A., & Ashraf, Z. U. (2025). The biotech and precision agriculture revolution: Feeding the world sustainably. Policy research journal, 3(3), 293-316. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15016226
Herrera, M. M., & Orjuela-Castro, J. (2021). An Appraisal of Traceability Systems for Food Supply Chains in Colombia. Int. J. Food System Dynamics, 12(1), 37-50. http://dx.doi.org/10.18461/ijfsd.v12i1.74
Hoque, A., Mazumder, A. S., Roy, S., Saikia, P., & Kumar, K. (2025). Transformative approaches to agricultural sustainability: Automation, smart greenhouses, and AI. International Journal for Research in Applied Science and Engineering Technology, 13(1). https:// doi.org/10.22214/ijraset.2025.66494
Hrustek, L. (2020). Sustainability driven by agriculture through digital transformation. Sustainability, 12(20), 8596. https://doi.org/10.3390/su12208596
Indurthi, S., Sarma, I., & Vinod, D. V. (2024). Horticultural innovations elevating crop yields and agricultural sustainability for a flourishing future. Plant Cell Biotechnology and Molecular Biology, 25, 22-44. https://doi.org/10.56557/PCBMB/2024/v25i1-28560
Janbandhu, M. S., Mehta, A., Beese, S., Pandey, S. K., Singh, B., Patel, A. & Singh, B. P. (2024). Advances and emerging trends in horticultural production and management. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International, 46(3), 47-69. https://doi.org/10.9734/JEAI/2024/v46i32325
Kabato, W., Getnet, G. T., Sinore, T., Nemeth, A., & Molnár, Z. (2025). Towards climate-smart agriculture: Strategies for sustainable agricultural production, food security, and greenhouse gas reduction. Agronomy, 15(3), 565. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030565
Kamilaris, A., & Prenafeta-Boldú, F. X. (2018). Deep learning in agriculture: A survey. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 147, 70–90.
Kariyanna, B., & Sowjanya, M. (2025). Unravelling the use of artificial intelligence in management of insect pests. Smart Agricultural Technology, 8, 100517. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.atech.2024.100517
Keskin, M., Sekerli, Y. E. (2024). Mitigation of the Effects of Climate Change on Agriculture Through the Adoption of Precision Agriculture Technologies. In: M. Behnassi, A. A. Al-Shaikh, R. Hussain Qureshi, M. Barjees Baig & T.K.A. Faraj (Eds.) Climate-Smart and Resilient Food Systems and Security (pp. 435-458): Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-65968-3_20
Kimani, S. (2024). The role of agricultural innovation in enhancing food security in Sub-Saharan Africa. International Journal of Developing Country Studies, 6(1), 58–73.
Klerkx, L., Jakku, E., & Labarthe, P. (2019). A review of social science on digital agriculture, smart farming and agriculture 4.0: New contributions and a future research agenda. NJAS: Wageningen Journal of Life Sciences, 90–91, 100315. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.njas.2019.100315
Kumar, C. A., GnanaDeep, K., Pavan, M. M. S., & Pranavi, M. (2025). Plant care system with automated watering and lighting for optimal growth. 3rd International Conference on Intelligent Data Communication Technologies and Internet of Things (IDCIoT), Bengaluru, India (pp. 1750-1756). https://doi.org/10.1109/IDCIOT64235.2025.10914780
Kunlere, A. S. (2025). Strategies to address food insecurity and improve global nutrition among at-risk populations. International journal of science and research archive, 14(2), 1657-1680. https://doi.org/10.30574/ijsra.2025.14.2.0564
Lin, Q., Wang, H., Pei, X., & Wang, J. (2019). Food safety traceability system based on blockchain and EPCIS. IEEE access, 7, 20698–20707.
Madec, S., Baret, F., De Solan, B., Thomas, S., Dutartre, D., Jezequel, S., Hemmerlé, M., Colombeau, G., & Comar, A. (2017). High-throughput phenotyping of plant height: Comparing unmanned aerial vehicles and ground LiDAR estimates. Frontiers in Plant Science, 8, 2002. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2017.02002
Mahmood, M. H., Waseem, M., Abbas, M., Ahmad, M., & Ahmad, M. (2025). Harvesting data the role of AI in smart farming and precision agriculture. Beijing, China: Global Scientific Publishing.
Malabadi, R. B., Kolkar, K. P., Chalannavar, R. K., Castaño-Coronado, K., Mammadova, S. S., Baijnath, H., Munhoz, A. N. R. & Abdi, G. (2024). Greenhouse farming: Hydroponic vertical farming–Internet of Things (IoT) technologies: An updated review. World Journal of Advanced Research and Reviews, 23(2), 2634-2686. https://doi.org/10.30574/wjarr.2024.23.2.2595
Malhotra, S. K., Mantri, S., Gupta, N., Bhandari, R., Armah, R.N., Alhassan, H., Young, S., White, H., Puskur, R., Waddington, H.S., & Masset, E. (2024). Value chain interventions for improving women’s economic empowerment: A mixed-methods systematic review and meta-analysis. Campbell Systematic Reviews, 20(3), 1428. https://doi.org/10.1002/cl2.1428
Maryam, G., Khan, N., Sehar, S., Ibrahim, Z., Ashraf, S., Areej, S., ... & Adil, M. F. (2025). Optimizing Crop Health with Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technologies. In Ecologically Mediated Development: Promoting Biodiversity Conservation and Food Security (pp. 487-509). Singapore: Springer Nature Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-96-2413-3_22
Mešić, A., Jurić, M., Donsì, F., Maslov Bandić, L., & Jurić, S. (2024). Advancing climate resilience: Technological innovations in sustainable food systems. Discover Sustainability, 5, 423. https://doi.org/10.1007/s43621-024-00581-z
Mmbando, G. S. (2025). Harnessing artificial intelligence and remote sensing in climate-smart agriculture: The current strategies needed for enhancing global food security. Cogent Food & Agriculture, 11(1), 2454354. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2025.2454354
Nayak, B. B., Mrudula, D., Prasanna, T., & Bhupal, G. (2024). New generation technologies for precision nutrient management for sustainable agriculture. Current Trends in Agriculture & Allied Sciences, 4, 165-185.
Ojha, T., Misra, S., & Raghuwanshi, N. S. (2015). Wireless sensor networks for agriculture: The state-of-the-art in practice and future challenges. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 118, 66–84. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2015.08.011
Paul, A., & Bhatia, A. (2025). Exploring the Effects of Contemporary Agricultural Techniques on Soil and Water Pollution in Rice Fields. In: A. Nanda, P.K. Gupta, V. Gupta, P.K. Jha, S.K. Dubey (Eds.) Navigating the Nexus (pp. 197-238): Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-76532-2_9
Petrovic, B., & Csambalik, L. (2025). Enhancing precision agriculture for climate change mitigation in Visegrad Countries: Factors shaping adaptation. Land, 14(2), 399. https://doi.org/10.3390/land14020399
Piot-Lepetit, I. (2025). Strategies of digitalization and sustainability in agrifood value chains. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 9. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2025.1565662
Polwaththa, K. P. G. D. M., Amarasinghe, A. A. Y., & Nasena, G. P. M. S. (2024). A review of innovative fertilization strategies in precision agriculture. Open access research journal of science and technology, 12(2), 49-57. https://doi.org/10.53022/oarjst.2024.12.2.0137
Prajapati, G. V., & Pandya, P. A. (2025). Trailblazing trends in sustainable climate-resilient precision agriculture. Allied Publishers.
Qureshi, W. A., Gao, J., Elsherbiny, O., Mosha, A. H., Tunio, M. H., & Qureshi, J. A. (2025). Boosting aeroponic system development with plasma and high-efficiency tools: AI and IoT—A review. Agronomy, 15(3), 546. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy15030546
Rani, H., Kakkar, P., & Singh, D. P. (2025). Advancements in precision agriculture for maximizing crop yield and minimizing waste via innovative technological solutions. International Journal of Research in Applied Science, Humanities, and Technology, 2(1), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.71143/gc4v7n32
Rani, J., Gulia, V., Dhull, S.S., Gawdiya, S. & Sangwan, A. (2025). Innovative agricultural solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation. In H.S. Jatav, V.D. Raiput & T. Minkina (Eds.) Ecologically mediated development (pp. 313-338). Singapore: Springer.
Rao, S., & Ranganath, P. (2025). Climate-resilient agriculture: Leveraging language models for mitigation and adaptation. In R.K. Srivastava & A. Chakraborty (Eds.) Mitigation and adaptation strategies against climate change in natural systems. Springer, Cham.
Rose, D. C., & Chilvers, J. (2018). Agriculture 4.0: Broadening responsible innovation in an era of smart farming. Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems, 2, 87. https://doi.org/10.3389/fsufs.2018.00087
Saad, N. S. M., Neik, T. X., Thomas, W. J. W., Amas, J. C., Cantila A. Y., Craig, R. J., David, E. & Batley, J. (2022). Advancing designer crops for climate resilience through an integrated genomics approach. Current Opinion in Plant Biology, 67, 102220. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pbi.2022.102220
Shaari, S. A., Radzi, N. A. M., & Shaaya, S. A. (2024). Recent trends in precision agriculture: Applications & challenges in precision farming. International Transaction Journal of Engineering, Management, & Applied Sciences & Technologies, 15(3), 1–10.
Shukla, P., Pandey, A. K., & Singh, A. (2025). Modern solutions for soil-free agriculture: Advanced systems for vegetable cultivation. In U. Sharma, M.S. Sisodiya, P. Raj, S. Rout & V. Moond (Eds.) Recent trends in dry land agriculture (pp. 92–148). India: Dvs Scientific Publication.
Steiner, A., Aguilar, G., Bomba, K., Bonilla, J. P., Campbell, A., Echeverria, R., Gandhi, R., Hedegaard, C., Holdorf, D., Ishii, N., & Quinn, K. M. (2020). Actions to transform food systems under climate change. AgEcon.
Tian, F. (2016). An agri-food supply chain traceability system for China based on RFID & blockchain technology. 2016 13th International Conference on Service Systems and Service Management (ICSSSM), Kunming, China.
Tian, F. (2017). A supply chain traceability system for food safety based on HACCP, blockchain & internet of things. 2017 International Conference on Service Systems and Service Management, Dalian.
Tiwari, N. J., Dubey, S., Kumar, A., Amala, E., Sangmesh, P., Yadav, A., Jain, R., & Giri, B. (2025). A comprehensive review on protected cultivation of horticultural crops: Advances and sustainability. International Journal of Environment and Climate Change, 15(2), 466–476. https://doi.org/10.9734/ijecc/2025/v15i24740
Treiblmaier, H. (2019). Combining blockchain technology and the physical internet to achieve triple bottom line sustainability: A comprehensive research agenda for modern logistics and supply chain management. Logistics, 3(1), 10. https://doi.org/10.3390/logistics3010010
Tripoli, M., & Schmidhuber, J. (2018). Emerging opportunities for the application of blockchain in the agri-food industry. FAO & ICTSD.
Tsouros, D. C., Bibi, S., & Sarigiannidis, P. G. (2019). A review on UAV-based applications for precision agriculture. Information, 10(11), 349. https://doi.org/10.3390/info10110349
Tzounis, A., Katsoulas, N., Bartzanas, T., & Kittas, C. (2017). Internet of Things in agriculture, recent advances and future challenges. Biosystems Engineering, 164, 31–48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biosystemseng.2017.09.007
Valov, D., Holota, A., & Lipa, A. (2025). Global food security: Innovative solutions to world hunger. Engineering advanced agricultural systems for a sustainable future.
Van Deursen, P. (2018). Food 4.0: The future of agriculture and food supply. The Economist Impact Report, 1–68.
Wang, Z., Liu, Z., Yuan, M., Yin, W., Zhang, C., Zhang, Z., & Hu, X. (2025). A machine learning-based irrigation prediction model for cherry tomatoes in greenhouses: Leveraging optimal growth data for precision irrigation. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture, 237, 108478. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.compag.2025.110558
Yadav, S., Khanikar, S., Singh, A., Hansda, S., & Verma, S. (2025). Advancing horticulture through IoT and sensor technologies: Trends, challenges, and future directions. Journal of Experimental Agriculture International, 47(2), 389-416.https://doi.org/10.9734/jeai/2025/v47i23299
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 K. P. G. D. M. Polwaththa
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
