Perceived Benefits and Implementation Challenges of IoT-Based Monitoring Systems: A Pilot Study of Grape Farmers in Nashik District

This pilot study investigates the primary factors that influence the adoption and effective application of Internet of Things (IoT)-based automated monitoring systems among grape farmers in the Nashik district. The studies used a cross-sectional descriptive survey methodology, gathering data from 30 farmers using a questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, such as medians, interquartile ranges, and frequencies, were the main emphasis of the data analysis for ordinal data derived from Likert-scale questions. Thematic analysis of open-ended responses was also conducted to provide qualitative insights. Although possible differences and correlations were investigated using Kruskal-Wallis and Spearman's correlation tests, these tests were not statistically significant. The findings revealed that farmers generally perceive benefits from IoT, particularly in terms of improved crop yield consistency and optimized resource use, but they also encounter major deployment obstacles, including technical difficulties, high initial costs, and difficulties with understanding and use. Farmers are utilizing the data in their operations, but many are dissatisfied with how quickly the technological assistance they have got has responded to their needs. The research underscores the need for technology developers and extension services to address these challenges and provide better support to farmers.