Iqra University, a UNAI member institution in Pakistan, appears to have saved the South Asian nation from an impending food crisis that was expected to occur within two years.
Iqra University, a UNAI member institution in Pakistan, appears to have saved the South Asian nation from an impending food crisis that was expected to occur within two years.
In developing nations like Pakistan, agriculture is an essential element of economic growth, food security, job creation, and poverty reduction. Over one third of Pakistan’s population works in it, and it generates close to a quarter of the country’s GDP.
At the university’s Faculty of Engineering, Sciences and Technology, the team of Drs. Mansoor Ebrahim, Kamran Raza, and Hasan Adil has created “Smart Farming,” a unique urban farming solution, according to UNAI in Pakistan.
The main objective of the project is to develop a hydroponics-based test bed that combines the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) and systems with artificial intelligence (AI) to produce an efficient, controlled, and autonomous environment for plant growth.
The use of Web 5.0 technologies in agriculture is known as “smart farming,” with hydroponics serving as a notable example. In this method, plants are grown in nutrient-rich water instead of soil. Despite the numerous projects being worked on all over the world, according to Dr. Mansoor, a comprehensive solution that includes all pertinent components has not yet been developed.
The project aims to address Pakistan’s agricultural problems by combining physical and digital technologies for sustainability and adaptability. It includes a monitored hydroponic farming system, an IoT interface for monitoring TDS, pH, humidity, and temperature, and automated operations for optimal crop health.
IoT sensors maintain plant stability, according to Dr. Mansoor, while an AI-based system analyses data from plant stages and drone cameras. The system ensures accurate monitoring of plant growth and yield by conducting periodic analyses of crop yield data.
The mobile-based application controls and restarts the system, allowing for 90% water savings, a 25% reduction in fertilizer use, low area utilisation, and cost savings on transportation and carbon emissions.
As a result, ‘Smart Farming’ has been praised at the national level and has been awarded funding by the Higher Education Commission of Pakistan.
Dr. Mansoor, the project lead, points out that favourable results in the first phase are already visible, with many vegetables successfully grown and initial targets achieved. They have been able to perfect the nutrient solution that has yielded excellent outcomes.
This remarkable crop output clearly illustrates that ‘Smart Farming’ is a promising and environmentally friendly method of cultivation. Additionally, because of its automated system, which decreases labour requirements, costs, and cultivation space requirements, it is suitable for urban environments.
For the algorithm to be perfected and achieve its ultimate goal of completely automating the agricultural process, enormous amounts of data sets must be fed into the system. This will train the algorithm, allow it to make accurate decisions, and enable it to craft flawless communication.
This project will need to continue being a joint effort between machines and people until that is accomplished, according to Dr. Mansoor.
According to him, the initiative has great potential for large-scale replication, which could both sustain and strengthen the current agricultural labour market.
Up until now, production has been hindered by a number of socioeconomic problems, including the loss of farmland, climatic changes, rural-to-urban migration, and most significantly, water scarcity and salinization. In addition, irrigation is essential because farming is so dependent on it.