Technology Readiness for Internet of Things (IoT) Adoption in Smart Farming in Thailand

Abstract

Smart farming, an Internet of Things (IoT) application that uses a combination of sensor networks and artificial intelligence (AI) techniques to optimize growing conditions, is a developing technology that shows promise for farming in Thailand to improve yield and optimize resource use. However, smart farming technology cannot be effective if technological readiness conditions are not in place for its deployment or if farmers do not adopt the technology. This research investigates technology readiness for IoT adoption in smart farming using a survey of Thai firms (n = 395). An extended technology acceptance model (TAM) was deployed for investigation. The study showed that IoT readiness, perceived usefulness (PU), e-learning and institutional support influenced adoption intentions. The implication of this research is that while Thai farmers are not yet ready to adopt smart farming, e-learning and institutional support could be used to prepare farmers for IoT-based smart farming adoption. This study is the first readiness study for smart farming adoption, contributing to the literature on smart farming which is to date mainly technical implementation research.