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A systematic review of trends, applications, and challenges of emerging technologies in the agricultural industry
Una revisión sistemática sobre tendencias, aplicaciones y desafíos de las tecnologías emergentes en la industria agrícola
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15446/rfnam.v79.122666Keywords:
Artificial intelligence, Digital transformation, Internet of things, Smart agriculture, Supply chain, Systematic review (en)Inteligencia artificial, Transformación digital, Internet de las cosas, Agricultura inteligente, Cadena de suministro, Revisión sistemática (es)
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The use of smart technologies for the automation and management of the agricultural sector has become a strategic area of research and development, as traditional methods are insufficient to meet the growing global food demand. In this context, this study analyzes, through a systematic literature review, how emerging technologies, particularly Artificial Intelligence and the Internet of Things (IoT), can contribute to the improvement, application, and evolution of smart practices in the agricultural sector. This paper presents a characterization of the concepts of precision agriculture and smart agriculture, along with the main digital tools that have driven their adoption. It also identifies the most relevant applications of these technologies within the agricultural supply chain, based on an analysis of scientific literature published between 2008 and 2025 using advanced search strategies supported by Boolean operators and processed with the Bibliometrix tool. As a result, the authors identify trends and lines of research that are grouped into three main areas: a) technological innovation, b) application scenarios, and c) business and commercialization. These latter areas, although fundamental to the consolidation of smart agriculture, have received less attention than technological developments. Therefore, a model-oriented, decision-making framework for intelligent management in the agricultural sector is proposed, based on a five-layer IoT architecture. These elements constitute strategic areas for future research to promote the digital transformation and sustainability of the agricultural industry.
El uso de tecnologías inteligentes para la automatización y gestión del sector agrícola se ha consolidado como un área estratégica de investigación y desarrollo, debido a que los métodos tradicionales resultan insuficientes para satisfacer la creciente demanda alimentaria mundial. En este contexto, el presente estudio analiza, mediante una revisión sistemática de la literatura, la manera en cómo las tecnologías emergentes, particularmente la Inteligencia Artificial y el Internet de las Cosas (IoT), pueden contribuir al progreso, aplicación y evolución de prácticas inteligentes en el sector agrícola. Este trabajo presenta una caracterización de los conceptos de agricultura de precisión y agricultura inteligente, así como de las principales herramientas digitales que han impulsado su adopción. Asimismo, se identifican las aplicaciones más relevantes de estas tecnologías dentro de la cadena de suministro agrícola, a partir del análisis de literatura científica publicada en el periodo comprendido entre 2008 y 2025 mediante estrategias de búsqueda avanzada apoyadas en operadores booleanos y procesadas con la herramienta Bibliometrix. Como resultado, se identifican tendencias y líneas de investigación agrupadas en tres áreas principales: a) innovación tecnológica, b) escenarios de aplicación y c) negocios y comercialización. Estas últimas, aunque fundamentales para la consolidación de la agricultura inteligente, han recibido menor atención en comparación con los desarrollos tecnológicos. Por lo que se propone un modelo orientado a la gestión inteligente para la toma de decisiones en el sector agrícola, sustentado en una arquitectura IoT de cinco capas. Dichos elementos constituyen áreas estratégicas para futuras investigaciones destinadas a impulsar la transformación digital y la sostenibilidad de la industria agrícola.
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