Participation of Two Smart Agriculture Researchers at the International ICATES 2024 Seminar

Aceh, 18 September 2024, two students and researchers from the Smart Agriculture Research Center, Department of Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, Universitas Gadjah Mada (UGM) participated in the International Conference on Agricultural Technology and Environmental Sustainability (ICATES) 2024. Dwiki Nugraha and Fahmi Aryo Majid had the opportunity to present research results focused on the development of systems and equipment for indoor farming, particularly implementation in plant factories—Smart Agri Plant Factory.

Dwiki Nugraha presented research titled "Development of Thermal Camera-Based Crop Water Stress Index Monitoring System in Plant Factories." This research focuses on developing a plant water stress monitoring system using thermal cameras, which aims to detect water stress earlier. By monitoring the water stress index, this system can help farmers in plant factories manage water use more efficiently, which is crucial in maintaining plant health and land productivity.

Meanwhile, Fahmi Aryo Majid presented research titled "Development of Smart Lighting Control System for Plant Factories: An Intelligent Approach." This research emphasizes the development of intelligent lighting systems for plant factories, designed to optimize plant growth through automatic adjustment of light intensity and spectrum. This system is expected to improve energy efficiency and plant quality, while also supporting sustainability in indoor agricultural practices.

Both of these studies demonstrate significant potential in developing technology-based indoor agriculture, which is highly relevant to global challenges such as land limitations and the need for food security. The innovations presented by Dwiki and Fahmi align with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly in promoting sustainable agriculture and ensuring food production.

ICATES 2024 was attended by academics, researchers, and practitioners from various countries, with the aim of bringing together innovative ideas in agricultural technology and environmental sustainability. The success of Dwiki and Fahmi at this conference is expected to be an initial step in developing more intelligent solutions for the future of sustainable agriculture.

The conference also highlighted the importance of collaboration among stakeholders in the agricultural sector to address pressing issues related to food production and environmental conservation. By leveraging technology, such as intelligent lighting systems and thermal monitoring, the agricultural community can work toward improving food security while minimizing environmental impact.