Undiknas “Prita” Laboratory: Smart Farming 4.0 Flagship Project Helps Farmers’ Economy
The development of technology in the digital era as it is now growing rapidly from day to day, in its development this technology will help human work. Through its platform named Techno-researchpreneur University, Undiknas has always been adaptive and responsive to the modernization and digitalization of product development that is efficient for the community. As a university that has an Information Technology Program, Undiknas responds to this by building a technology-based agricultural laboratory (precision agriculture). The construction of this laboratory was initiated by the Undiknas Rector, Dr. Ir. Nyoman Sri Subawa, S.T., S. Sos., M.M., as a place for lecturers of Information Technology Program to apply their knowledge. This laboratory came to be known as the Precision Agriculture Laboratory (PRITA Laboratory).
Undiknas does not have any Agricultural Program, but it is able to develop efficient technology to support the community. Precision Agriculture can produce more than conventional systems. Whereas, it does not need the environment so farmers can farm without difficulty, interesting to see, free of pesticides and hazardous chemicals. The PRITA laboratory is designed in two types of Smart Agriculture 4.0 for the cultivation of fruit and vegetable crops. This system is built based on Hydroponic Bato Bucket Systems and Aeroponic Verticulture technologies integrated in the fragmented bedside media category. The method of culturing fragmented media beds, especially Bato Bucket and Aroponic Verticulture have many advantages in terms of disease control, efficiency, and ease of maintenance. This system is a culture system that is most dependent on the existence of control and automation technology so that it can be operated optimally. Therefore, PRITA Laboratory plans to provide facilities for research and development in both systems.
PRITA Laboratory is a superior product of Undiknas to help farmers economy in the Undiknas fostered village. Farmers in Penebel Village, Tabanan Regency will be facilitated in terms of plant and its maintenance. In addition, PRITA also discussed research articles and products consisting of prototypes ready for testing related to smart devices, embedded systems, artificial intelligence, expert systems, and independent energy systems that use renewable energy sources to power product cultivation. [aw & ip]
