Strengthening Indoor Farming Research, IPB Launches IoT-based Mini Plant Factory
IPB University again presents a new innovation, the Mini Plant Factory based on the Internet of Things (IoT) on Monday (11/25) at the Siswadhi Soepardjo Field Laboratory, Leuwikopo, Dramaga Campus of IPB, Bogor. This innovation is a plant cultivation engineering system in a controlled environment that makes it possible to control micro environmental parameters such as temperature, intensity, duration and spectrum of light, and precision supply of nutrients.
This innovation is in the form of a closed house plant system in containers with an irrigation system and artificial lighting sources. This innovation is here to answer the challenges as well as the problems of crop cultivation in Indonesia which incidentally still relies on natural conditions.
Rector of IPB University, Prof. Dr. Arif Satria when opening the soft launching of Mini Plant Factory gave appreciation to the Department of Mechanical and Biosystem Engineering (TMB) Faculty of Agricultural Technology (Fateta) IPB University because TMB is a department that is very persistent in promoting, studying and initiating agricultural technology 4.0 which is currently at IPB University has started to develop well.
“IPB University has a great commitment to continue leading in terms of agricultural technology 4.0. Not for dashing but this is already a demand and sooner or later others will continue to adopt or develop. If IPB University only conveys with words, it seems that it will be difficult to be able to make others believe in the right technology for the development of agriculture in the future, “said Prof. Arif.
On the occasion, the Chairman of the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Biosystems at IPB Fateta University, Prof. Dr. Sutrisno in his remarks said that his party would continue to facilitate young researchers who have great potential in developing their research. In the future, not only laboratory-scale plant factories will be developed, but it is hoped that they can be developed on a larger commercial scale. So we can show the business world that plant factories are the future for better urban agriculture.
The design of the mini plant plant was initiated by Dr. Slamet Widodo and the team, Dr. Moh. Solahudin, Dr. Agus Ghautsun Niam and Lilis Sucahyo, MSi from various divisions in the Department of Mechanical and Biosystem Engineering, Fateta, IPB University, with a decentralized research grant in the Higher Education Applied Research (PTUPT) Ristekdikti scheme. The research theme carried is the development of a controlled environmental system for the initiation of flowering shallots in order to encourage the production of alternative national onion seeds known as True Shallot Seed (TSS).
The head of the mini plant factory team, Dr. Slamet Widodo explained, the plant plant that was launched also adopted internet of things (IoT) technology capable of displaying microclimate conditions through smartphones. So that we can ensure optimal environmental conditions for plants. In addition, this monitoring system is easily accessible via a smartphone and is very user friendly. If there are external disturbances during cultivation can be known in real time so that handling is also fast and can be controlled remotely.
He added, the purpose of this mini plant plant design was originally to create a controlled environmental cultivation system on a small scale but can be controlled fully and precisely. Not only specifically for TSS production but also for other commodities. The concept of technology built in the form of technology packages that are mobile, controlled and easily applied in various environmental conditions. Simply put, this technology package is easy to reproduce. Especially for environments with minimal area of agricultural land and increasingly degraded each year such as urban areas.
“This is an important part of the concept of Agro-Maritime 4.0, and with this IPB University wants to emphasize that with integrated participatory from various disciplines, it is able to create a new value (creating value) that is the main characteristic of the concept of Agro-Maritime Technology 4.0, namely a modern agricultural system, monitored and controlled easily for example through smartphone devices that have become part of people’s daily lives, “he said.
Related to the TSS production technology developed, the IPB University lecturer revealed, this was based on the thought that shallots were one of the national strategic commodities. Often the problem of supply and price fluctuations of shallots becomes a national issue. For that we need an innovative breakthrough that can be an alternative solution to this problem. Provision of onion seeds and onion production in general is still very dependent on climate and weather conditions.
The provision of onion seeds is also influenced by fluctuations in the price of onions on the market. The increase in the price of shallots at a certain time often encourages farmers to sell their seeds for consumption, which causes farmers to lack stock in the next planting period. This causes the price of seeds to surge, high production costs, and many onion farmers to switch to other commodities. Meanwhile farmers who continue to plant with high production costs have the potential to bear losses. Therefore, it is necessary to develop alternative seed production systems that are not dependent on climate and market price fluctuations. One of them is through the development of a True Shallot Seed (TSS) seed production system in a controlled environment, the Mini Plant Factory.
In addition to the development of TSS, the presence of a mini plant factory is expected to encourage a variety of research related to the development of indoor farming technology. Such technology is expected to be able to optimize the country’s extraordinary natural wealth, one of which is for cultivation of plants that have high economic value such as medicinal plants to support the development of the biopharmaceutical industry in Indonesia. To go there, of course there are still many things that need to be developed and of course, it requires a cross-disciplinary collaboration.
Also attending the soft launching of the Mini Plant Factory were Vice Rector in Resources, Planning and Finance, Prof. Dr. Agus Purwito, Deputy Rector in Innovation, Business and Entrepreneurship, Prof. Dr. Erika Budiarti Laconi, Dean of Fateta IPB University, Prof. Dr. Kudang Boro Seminar, Head of Bureau Communication of IPB University, Ir Yatri Indah Kusumastuti, M.Sc, TMB lecturers included Prof. Dr. Herry Suhardiyanto. (NR)
Keyword: Agro-maritime 4.0, IPB lecturer, IPB Fateta, plant factory
