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Air pollution

Poultry Farming Gets a Boost with IoT Technology

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

In a breakthrough study, researchers from Aswan University have designed a low-cost, automated monitoring and control unit (AMCU) for small-scale poultry operations. The IoT-based system, which integrates with Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) for communication, can measure key environmental parameters such as temperature, humidity, ammonia, and methane in real-time, providing farmers with critical insights to optimize poultry health and productivity. The AMCU is not only cost-effective but also outperforms commercial reference devices in terms of functionality, achieving comparable results at just 11.68% of the commercial cost.

Key Takeaways:

  • The AMCU is a promising solution for environmental monitoring in poultry farming, capable of measuring temperature, humidity, ammonia, and methane in real-time.
  • The system is IoT-based, employing GSM for communication, and has been designed specifically for small-scale poultry operations.
  • The AMCU was evaluated and calibrated under controlled laboratory conditions, demonstrating a strong correlation (r 0.96) between sensor readings and certified reference devices.
  • The economic analysis revealed that the complete system, including the early warning feature, was constructed at a total cost of USD 76, with the core measuring unit costing USD 37.5.
  • The AMCU outperforms commercial reference devices in terms of functionality, achieving comparable results at just 11.68% of the commercial cost (USD 321).
  • The system is scalable and has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and promote more sustainable agricultural practices.
  • The research suggests that the AMCU could be deployed in real-world poultry houses, providing farmers with critical insights to optimize poultry health and productivity.
  • Abdallah Elshawadfy Elwakeel, Agricultural Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Aswan University, is available for more information on this research.

Statistics:

  • The team evaluated the performance of the AMCU under controlled laboratory conditions at the Agricultural Engineering Department, Aswan University, during August 2023, with ambient temperatures ranging between 40 and 42 °C.
  • The AMCU achieved a strong correlation (r 0.96) between sensor readings and certified reference devices.
  • The total cost of the complete system, including the early warning feature, was USD 76, with the core measuring unit costing USD 37.5.
  • The commercial reference devices had a combined cost of approximately USD 321, which the AMCU achieved at just 11.68% of the commercial cost.
  • The study suggests that the AMCU has the potential to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in poultry farming.

Sources:

  • A smart automatic control and monitoring system for environmental control in poultry houses integrated with earlier warning system. Scientific Reports, 2025,15(1):1-20. (Scientific Reports - http://www.nature.com/srep/index.html). The publisher for Scientific Reports is Nature Portfolio.
  • NewsRx. Researcher from Aswan University Details Findings in Poultry Farming (A smart automatic control and monitoring system for environmental control in poultry houses integrated with earlier warning system). Agriculture Week. September 18, 2025; p 3982.

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