The global population is expected to surpass nine billion by 2050, highlighting the urgent need for increased food production. To address this, farmers are turning to technologies that optimize operations, but they also face challenges like climate variability. Smart farming (SF) has emerged as a promising solution by integrating information and communication technologies to improve agricultural productivity. SF enhances operational efficiency through spatial analysis of production data. Effective monitoring of environmental variables is essential for informed decision-making regarding agricultural practices like irrigation and harvest timing [5; 6]. Several frameworks, such as Internet of Things (IoT)-enabled monitoring and cloud-based services, aim to improve farming practices, although more research is needed to guide the selection of IoT technologies for crop management [7; 8; 9]. Agriculture 4.0, the fourth agricultural revolution, uses digital technologies to create a more efficient and environmentally sustainable agricultural sector. Innovations like Big Data, AI, robotics, and IoT are central to transforming farming operations [10; 11]. Smart farming and precision agriculture have automated farming processes, improving both the quantity and quality of crop yields to ensure food sustainability [12]. Precision agriculture (PA) focuses on optimizing resource use for maximum yield while minimizing environmental impact, with a strong emphasis on sustainability [13; 14]. Smart farming extends precision agriculture by incorporating new technologies such as cloud computing, GIS, and remote sensing to manage crops more efficiently [15]. The integration of AI, drones, and IoT sensors enables autonomous farm management, further boosting crop yield. Precision agriculture, which includes technologies like GNSS for precise location data, enables farmers to make informed decisions for site-specific crop management [16]. The digitization of agriculture began in the 1990s with [PERSON]'s innovations in precision planting and fertilizer application, with the goal of increasing production while supporting sustainable practices. Hyperspectral and multispectral sensors are essential in precision farming, providing valuable data for assessing crop health and optimizing farming practices. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) equipped with these sensors offer a cost-effective and flexible solution for monitoring crops and collecting high-resolution data on vegetation indices (VIs) that are crucial for understanding crop status [17; 18]. These indices, including NDVI, MCARI, and TCARI, help estimate chlorophyll content, which is an indicator of photosynthetic activity and plant health [19; 20; 21; 22; 23]. Currently, consumer interest in medicinal and aromatic plants (MAPs) is growing, highlighting the need for effective monitoring and management to ensure quality and sustainability [24; 25; 26; 27]. The use of UAVs in the cultivation of aromatic plants, like rosemary and sage, supports monitoring plant health, detecting diseases, and optimizing irrigation and fertilization. These data aid farmers in making decisions about harvest timing and improving crop yield [16]. In regions like Sicily, where traditional practices dominate, smart farming and precision agriculture can significantly enhance farming efficiency and crop yield [9; 28; 29; 30; 31; 32]. As a part of advancing sustainable farming practices, IoT technology is applied to enhance agricultural efficiency. A recent prototype solar drying system, powered by photovoltaic energy in Grotte, Italy, demonstrates how IoT can optimize environmental factors like temperature and humidity, improving drying processes for MAPs [33; 34]. This prototype AI-powered medicinal and aromatic crops smart solar fryer represents a significant step forward in agricultural technology. It improves the sustainability, efficiency, and quality of drying processes, benefiting farmers and producers who rely on MAPs for both their medicinal and aromatic properties.