Agricultural digital twin for smart farming: A review

Abstract

Smart farming has introduced agricultural systems that are increasingly autonomous and highly interconnected. The Agricultural Digital Twin (ADT) is an innovative breakthrough in smart farming that has the potential to greatly improve productivity and sustainability in agricultural systems. Simulation using theoretical and static models has long been a conventional and valuable tool for verifying, validating, and optimizing agricultural tasks. With the emergence of next-generation information and digital technologies, data availability has increased manyfold. Digital twin (DT) modeling is essential for accurately representing the physical entity, and it provides functional services and meets the requirements of modern farms. This study provides a detailed analysis of the key aspects of ADTs, providing deeper insights into the potential application areas in agriculture, and discusses major implementation challenges. This study explores applications of ADT in controlled environment agriculture, soil and irrigation management, crop monitoring and cultivation support, post-harvest activities, livestock monitoring and management, and agricultural machinery. Given that DT technology is relatively nascent in agriculture, this study can provide valuable research direction to stakeholders involved in integrating digital twins into agricultural processes through research and development.