Indonesia’s Gadjah Mada University made a breakthrough in agriculture with the development of a smart farming device that is capable of calculating greenhouse gas emissions on agricultural land.
According to a recent press release, the technology was developed by Bayu Dwi Apri Nugroho, Ph.D., a Lecturer from the University’s Department of Agriculture and Biosystem Engineering, Faculty of Agricultural Technology.
Background
The technology can provide information on emissions of rich home gases such as methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), ammonium (NH4) produced from agricultural land.
So far, the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions on agricultural land has been done manually, with estimates being based on secondary data including the type of variety planted and the type of fertilizer. It is then matched with the guidelines from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC).
The researcher explained that the agriculture sector is one of the contributors to greenhouse gases, supplying around 24%, with the rate potentially increasing from year to year.
The main sources of greenhouse gas emissions from the agricultural sector come from conventional agriculture, which uses chemical fertilisers and excess irrigation.
The use of unfermented fertilisers and the massive burning of straw on agricultural land also contribute to greenhouse gas emissions.
About the Initiative
With these conditions, the researcher thought of calculating real-time data from sensors. These data include climate, soil parameters, and plant growth.
The data can be used to evaluate irrigation systems and calculate concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions. The data gathered is processed with an artificial neural network model (ANN).
The greenhouse gas emission measuring device was built using 5 sensors in the field monitoring system (FMS).
It is also equipped with an Em50 data logger for data storage. Telemetry is used to send the data from the data logger to the automatic server every day. It uses a modem from a telecommunications provider in Indonesia.
It also has a camera, which monitors rice, and solar panels that provide power.
How it Works
Measurements will be carried out automatically every 30 minutes. Data will be directly stored in the data logger.
The data will be retrieved every day by the router field and sent to the server via the GSM internet network. On top of the data, the device will also send location photos once a day.
A website was built so that users can access all the data available: numerical, graphical, and images.
The IoT-based smart farming device aims to support low-carbon development in Indonesia, particularly now that the government has established a policy wherein every province in Indonesia must report the calculation of greenhouse gas emissions in each region.
Hopefully, this technology can achieve environmentally friendly agriculture that prioritises efficiency by using information in decision-making.
The device will make life easier for farmers as they carry out farming activities. It will also increase productivity and lessen productivity costs.
