Traditional farming in the Philippines has long been confronted with numerous challenges, ranging from unpredictable weather conditions caused by climate change to labor-intensive practices, reliance on traditional skills, uncertain soil conditions, water scarcity, and various environmental threats like soil fungus and bacteria. These issues have exacerbated the heavy reliance on agricultural imports, increased the cost of herbicides and fertilizers, and led to poor monitoring, resulting in suboptimal crop yields.
In response to these challenges, the Ateneo Innovation Center has developed a revolutionary agricultural setup, employing precision farming techniques, specifically targeting the cultivation of high-value crops like black rice or lettuce.
Hydroponics
The Ateneo Innovation Center’s solution centers around a hydroponic system. This method eliminates the need for traditional land preparation, negating the requirement for heavy farm machinery. The hydroponic setup is enclosed within a greenhouse that is equipped with garden netting and UV plastic to create an optimized growing environment. This closed system offers several advantages, particularly in mitigating the threat of soil-borne diseases like fungus and bacteria. The hydroponic system also allows for precise control over essential growth parameters, such as nutrient delivery and environmental conditions, leading to higher crop yields and quality.
LoRa-based sensors
To further enhance precision agriculture in black rice cultivation, the Ateneo Innovation Center has incorporated LoRa-based sensors and a sophisticated monitoring system. A 7-in-1 sensor is deployed to collect data on various crucial parameters, primarily related to the water supply. This sensor collects information about temperature, humidity, pH levels, electrical conductivity, NPK (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium), and salinity. These data points are critical for understanding the conditions that affect plant growth and health.
LoRa technology, known for its long-range communication capabilities, is utilized to transmit the collected data by the sensors. This technology utilizes radio waves, enabling the transmission of data over long distances, making it highly suitable for agricultural applications, even in remote areas. The data can be transmitted locally through LoRa technology to a NearCloud Raspberry Pi server for offline real-time monitoring and analysis. This real-time data analysis is crucial for immediate decision-making and adjustments in the farming process.
Alternatively, the data can be uploaded to online platforms such as ThingSpeak. These platforms offer data visualization through charts, providing a user-friendly interface for tracking and interpreting the conditions necessary for optimal plant growth over the internet. (Story courtesy of Ateneo Innovations Center/Ateneo de Manila University)
For more information, click this link: https://www.ateneo.edu/sose/aic/projects/smart-agriculture