UNAIR NEWS – Community service is one of the three pillars of higher education, making it a fundamental duty for academics. In line with this, the Instrumentation and Energy Research Community (IMERCY), a student organization at Universitas Airlangga, recently conducted a community service initiative.
On July 22 and 23, 2024, the IMERCY team partnered with the NGO Gerakan Pembaru to introduce smart farming solutions in Plaosan Village, Sidoarjo. The project, titled “Smart Farming: Enhancing Agricultural Efficiency with a Solar-Powered IoT Monitoring System in Plaosan Village,” aims to modernize local farming practices.
“This initiative provides farmers with a device that measures critical soil components such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and moisture levels,” said Sulthon Yusuf Abdillah, the project head. The collected data is accessible via SQyM (Soil Quality Monitoring), a smartphone application developed for real-time analysis.
Thorough process for maximum results
Before implementation, the IMERCY team conducted a field survey in Plaosan Village, identifying soil degradation caused by excessive chemical fertilizer use. Recognizing the urgency of the issue, they secured funding from the SDGs Center at Universitas Airlangga to develop a solution.
“This inspired us to design a tool and application that help farmers assess soil health, ensuring appropriate fertilization and preventing overuse,” Abdillah explained.
By mid-June, the team had begun designing and testing the system. On July 22, they arrived in Plaosan Village to install the equipment, beginning with foundation construction, system setup, and real-time functionality testing.
The following day, they hosted a workshop for the Plaosan Village Farmers’ Association (Gapoktan). “The farmers showed great enthusiasm, with nearly all invited participants attending. Even though many were older, they were eager to adopt the smartphone application,” Abdillah observed.
Overcoming challenges and looking ahead
The project was not without obstacles. Integrating the sensors with the application required additional components, posing technical challenges.
Additionally, some team members were engaged in other university commitments, such as community service programs (KKN), making coordination more complex. Nevertheless, after nearly a month of effort, the team successfully achieved its objectives.
“IMERCY hopes that SQyM will significantly boost agricultural productivity in Plaosan Village. Beyond improving crop yields, we aim to enhance fertilization efficiency, ultimately lowering farmers’ operational costs,” Abdillah concluded.
Author: Afifah Alfina
Editor: Khefti Al Mawalia
