Magelang - Universitas Ahmad Dahlan (UAD) continues to show its commitment in advancing the agricultural sector through community service. This time, a team of UAD lecturers led by Prof. Ir. Anton Yudhana, Ph.D., collaborated with the Rukun tani farmer group in Salam Village, Magelang Regency, in a program entitled “Capacity Building of Magelang Melon Farmers Based on Modern Agriculture”.

The program focuses on the use of smart greenhouses and artificial intelligence (AI)-based agricultural technology to increase productivity, efficiency, and the welfare of local farmers. One of the featured technologies implemented is the Artificial Intelligence Farming Control System (AFAS), which combines AI and the Internet of Things (IoT) to manage environmental conditions and detect plant diseases automatically.

In the training and mentoring activities, farmers are introduced to various sophisticated devices, such as light sensors (LUX), temperature sensors, humidity, and rainfall, which are all integrated in the AFAS system. This technology works by periodically taking pictures of plant leaves to be analyzed by an AI system, so that diseases can be detected early without the need for manual observation.

Prof. Anton explained that this approach is a concrete solution to classic agricultural challenges such as pest attacks, extreme weather changes, and low crop selling prices. "With a modern farming approach, farmers can improve