The Center for Plant Phenotyping and Controlled Environment Agriculture (CPP-CEA) at IPB University held an international webinar featuring two leading experts from Japan.
The webinar was held to discuss the latest innovations in smart environmental control technology and real-time plant physiology monitoring.
In his speech, Prof Aris Purwanto, Vice Dean of Resources, Cooperation, and Development, Faculty of Agricultural Technology, IPB University, emphasized the strategic role of CPP-CEA.
"CPP-CEA is a leading research center that integrates sensing, modeling, and automation technologies to increase crop productivity and food security," he said.
He said that this activity not only enriched academic discussions but also opened up opportunities for long-term research collaboration between IPB University and partner universities in Japan. Prof Aris invited all participants to actively discuss, exchange ideas, and build research networks for the future of innovation-based and sustainable agriculture.
Dr Slamet Widodo, head of CPP-CEA, began the discussion session by introducing two new research facilities resulting from the collaboration between IPB University and research partners from South Korea. These are smart greenhouses and indoor vertical farming.
"These two facilities will be important infrastructure for the development of research related to plant phenotyping and controlled environment agriculture technology," said the lecturer from the Department of Mechanical and Biosystems Engineering at IPB University.
The first speaker, Prof Kotaro Takayama from Toyohashi University of Technology and Ehime University, explained the urgency of environment-controlled production systems, such as intelligent greenhouses and indoor farming, to meet the demand for stable and high-quality fresh vegetables.
He highlighted the importance of plant-guided control, an approach to environmental regulation based on plant physiological responses, rather than environmental parameters alone.
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Prof Takayama introduced a real-time photosynthesis and transpiration monitoring system using a simple yet effective open-chamber design.
"This physiological data enables early detection of plant stress, such as invisible drought, while helping farmers assess additional light requirements and optimize CO₂ needs," he explained.
Equally interesting, he also presented the development of imaging robotics to monitor plant growth distribution, from stem elongation to flower and fruit development, which is crucial in maintaining the balance between vegetative and generative growth.
Next, Associate Prof Naomichi Fujiuchi from Ehime University explained the whole-plant photosynthesis and transpiration monitoring technology that has been used in commercial greenhouses in Japan to support cultivation decision-making.
"By analyzing the relationship between plant responses to environmental variables such as light radiation and humidity deficit, researchers can identify physiological anomalies and detect plant stress quantitatively," he explained.
He also presented mathematical models and automatic stress detection algorithms that can reduce dependence on expert intuition. This makes greenhouse management more objective and efficient.
In an additional session, Dr Taufiq from Toyohashi University of Technology introduced a handy-type photosynthesis measurement system, a portable device developed to facilitate the measurement of photosynthesis and transpiration in the field by agricultural practitioners.
"With its light weight, complete sensors, and measurement capabilities under both natural and artificial light, this device is expected to be a practical solution for direct monitoring of plant responses," he explained.
In conclusion, Dr Slamet Widodo emphasized the importance of utilizing plant physiology technology to increase productivity and profitability in CEA systems. He said that international collaboration and technological development would accelerate the transformation of agriculture towards a more precise, efficient, and sustainable system.
Source: IPB University
