Experimental Study on the Propagation Characteristics of LoRa Signals in Maize Fields

Abstract

LoRa, as a leading LPWAN technology, plays a pivotal role in enabling long-range, low-power wireless communication, especially in agricultural IoT applications. This study examines the propagation characteristics of 433 MHz LoRa signals in maize fields, focusing on signal attenuation, RSSI, SNR, and packet loss under dense crop conditions. Field experiments were conducted in Wuwei, Gansu Province, with validation tests in Tongliao, Inner Mongolia. The effects of transmitter and receiver antenna heights on signal quality and propagation distance were systematically analyzed. Results show a consistent improvement in signal quality and range with increased antenna height. Path loss models were developed using regression analysis, achieving high predictive accuracy (R2 > 0.9). Validation confirmed the models’ reliability, offering valuable insights for deploying wireless sensor networks (WSNs) in agriculture. Future research will integrate machine learning for dynamic modeling and explore variations across crop growth stages.