Advanced and Sustainable Technologies (ASET)

Demographic Disparities in 5G Technology Adoption among Paddy Farmers in Kedah: A Comprehensive Study

Nurul Hazwani Abdul Hamid — 2024-03-01

This research aims to investigate the adoption of 5G technology within the agricultural sector, specifically among rice farmers in Kedah, Malaysia, and understand the demographic disparities in 5G adoption. It also addresses the challenge of equitable 5G technology adoption and explores how demographic factors such as gender, age, ethnicity, and income levels influence adoption patterns. A mixed-methods approach, comprising surveys, interviews, and field observations, is employed to collect data from a diverse sample of farmers. The study utilizes theoretical frameworks related to automation, productivity, and connectivity to analyze the impact of 5G technology on agricultural practices. Only descriptive analysis of demographic characteristics will be reported after the survey is conducted using a questionnaire through the What'sApp application. The research reveals significant gender imbalances in adoption rates, with implications for equitable access to technological advancements. It also highlights the influence of age and income on adoption patterns. The study underscores the importance of tailored strategies to ensure the adoption of inclusive 5G technology in the agricultural sector.

Performance of Chlorella vulgaris in Phycoremediation of Livestock Effluent

Siti Kamariah Md Sa’at — 2024-03-01

Livestock effluent is known to contain significantly higher concentrations of organic matter and challenging-to-degrade organic compounds compared to urban wastewater. This makes the effluent treatment challenging and adversely affects nearby aquatic environments if improperly treated. Phycoremediation uses microalgae in water and wastewater treatment. This research aim was to evaluate pollutant removal efficiencies, including chemical oxygen demand (COD), total suspended solids (TSS), nitrate (NO₃-N), turbidity, and phosphate (P), using microalgae Chlorella vulgaris (C. vulgaris) cultivation systems for livestock effluent treatment. The biomass weight of C. vulgaris in the cultivation systems was also observed. In this study, C. vulgaris was cultivated in closed cultivation systems in 5 L water bottles with different dilutions (100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%). The water effluent was compared to permissible values using the National Water Quality Standard (NWQS) class II for recreational water use. TSS was significantly removed by 61.97%, while COD and P were removed by 39.1% and 36.4%, respectively. The biomass growth was observed through the dry weight of the C.vulgaris. Therefore, the removal of nutrients from cattle farm effluent by phytoremediation using C. vulgaris demonstrates potential for treatment efficacy.

Hot Air Drying of Brazilian Spinach Leaves

Norawanis Abdul Razak — 2024-03-01

Brazilian spinach is one of the best leafy vegetables with tons of nutrients and has a range of health benefits. Its quality also determines the acceptance of customers to buy and consume it. The common method to extend the shelf life of the spinach is through drying treatment and preserving the color and texture quality of the leaves. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the drying characteristics of Brazilian spinach and investigate the effect of drying temperature on the color and texture quality of Brazilian spinach. Brazilian spinach leaves were dried using a hot air dryer under different temperatures (30, 50, 70 and 90°C). Results showed that the drying rate increased when temperature increased. It was found that the Midili model gave the best fitting to the experimental moisture ratio for a specific drying treatment. Drying the Brazilian spinach leaves at 50°C was the best condition for preserving their color and texture properties.

Phytochemical Screening and Insecticidal Activity of Cyperus iria, Fimbristylis globulosa and Fimbristylis miliacea toward Sitophilus oryzae L.

Ain Syakirah Binti Mohd Nooh — 2024-03-01

The rice weevil, Sitophilus oryzae is one of the famous insect pests that cause the low quality of the rice seeds. Fimbristylis miliacea, Fimbristylis globulosa and Cyperus iria are sedge weeds that are common near swampy areas. These weeds are classified as potential due to their high nutritional value and chemical compound content. Natural compounds from plant extracts prove the potential to develop as a new natural bio-insecticide in terms of agriculture usage. Cyperus iria, Fimbristylis globulosa and Fimbristylis miliacea extracts were screened for their secondary metabolite constituents. All extracts at a concentration of 1% were also evaluated for their feeding and fumigant toxicity against Sitophilus oryzae. Phytochemical analysis showed the presence of terpenoids, saponin, and phenolics in Fimbristylis miliacea extract. Fimbristylis globulosa extract contains flavonoids, terpenoids and phenolic. Phenolic and flavonoid compounds are also included in Cyperus iria extract. However, Fimbristylis miliacea extract showed the strongest feeding toxicity against Sitophilus oryzae at a mortality of 100% at the highest concentration starting after 6 hours, while the other extracts had moderate feeding toxicity with a mortality rate (50-80%) at a low of concentration. Fimbristylis miliacea extract also showed a higher repellency in the fumigant toxicity at (100%) maximum in 5 hours.

Assessing Changes in Soil Moisture Distribution for Before and After Irrigation in a Harumanis Greenhouse

Arravinthen Nagarajah — 2024-03-01

Soil moisture is an essential factor in determining the quality of crop production in farming areas, particularly in a greenhouse. It is important to ensure that the irrigation in the greenhouse can provide ample water needed by trees. This study aims to assess the status of soil moisture and map its distribution in a greenhouse following the irrigation supply. Soil samples were collected at forty randomly chosen locations at two different intervals of before and after irrigation supply. The soil moisture content is determined by the gravimetric method in the laboratory. Two soil moisture distribution maps were developed using soil moisture data and the coordinates of the sample locations. Based on the maps, the soil moisture distribution of before irrigation was classified into two classes: low and moderate at about 50% coverage each, while 100% of the greenhouse area was within the high soil moisture class for after irrigation. The statistical results demonstrate that both soil moisture data before and after irrigation are different, with the mean soil moisture content increased by 8.73%, thus proving that irrigation systems installed in the greenhouse work effectively by providing ample water to the soil to achieve high soil moisture content in the greenhouse.

Design and Fabrication of Automatic Temperature Control for Chicken Shade

M.H.H. Asaad — 2024-03-01

One of the most crucial sectors to explore in Malaysia are agriculture and poultry. Indeed, there is a strong correlation between agricultural growth and economic growth. The inconsistent weather in Malaysia will cause the temperature to increase and decrease, and this problem will affect the health of the chicken. Small-sector farmers cannot afford the high cost of installing and maintaining the temperature control system. Therefore, new effective technological approaches were required to continuously improve the productivity, profitability, and sustainability of major farming systems. An automatic temperature control system was designed to control the temperature in the chicken shade. This system was controlled by Arduino UNO, which was programmed using Arduino IDE software. The system started to operate when the sensor detected the temperature in the chicken shade above 28^oC. The exhaust fan, pump, and water sprinkler are the main components in this system that control the temperature in the chicken shade. The system reduced the temperature in the chicken shade by 1^oC to 3^oC. The system also affects the rate of chicken growth. By lowering the temperature in the chicken shade, the rate of the chicken growth increases. The chicken starts to grow faster in week 3 at 5 weeks. Starting in week 3, the chicken in controlled room temperature was 46g heavier than the average chicken weight in a normal room. In week four, the average chicken weight in a controlled room was 116.25g heavier than in a normal room. In week six, the average weight of chicken in the controlled room was 884.5, while in normal room conditions, it was 732g. The initial bar graph and week six bar graph for both conditions show significant differences in the chicken's growth rate.

Biogas Production from the Paddy Straw Pretreated with Sodium Hydroxide and Co-Digestion with Cow Manure

Tengku Roslina Tuan Yusof — 2024-03-01

Paddy straw waste (PS) is an organic waste that is disposed in open land after preparation of rice harvest that is generated in equal or greater quantities than the rice itself. Generally, it is disposed in open land, which increases anthropogenic gases. Converting it into useful energy or value-added products may reduce disposal problems and anthropogenic activity. In this study, PS with different treatments of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) at 2, 4, 6 , 8 and 10% was co-digested with cow dung (CD) for obtaining biogas by anaerobic digestion. For this purpose, PS was mixed with CD at different proportions, namely 50:50, 40:60, 30:70, 20:80, and 0:100 percentages on a mass basis, the samples were used in five different anaerobic digesters. The samples were kept in different anaerobic digesters for the study. The effect of important input parameters like pH and Carbon to Nitrogen (C/N) ratio on the biogas production was studied. Maximum biogas production was obtained from the co-digestion of the substrate containing 30% ps and 70% Cd for a digestion time of 20 days, and d3 shows a max pH value of 7.16. Further, the biogas collected from the digesters was characterized to ensure suitability for use as a renewable fuel. Furthermore, the digested slurry was also analyzed for its use in agriculture. The results are presented in this paper.

Bioconversion of Agro-Wastes by Black Soldier Fly Larvae

Rashidah Ruslan — 2024-03-01

The utilization of Black Soldier Fly larvae (BSFL) in agro-waste bioconversion is becoming popular due to its potential to reduce waste volume and produce protein and lipids from the larvae. This research was carried out to evaluate the capacity of BSFL to biologically convert different types of selected plant and animal-based agro-wastes. The assessment of the BSFL growth (diameter, length, and weight) was recorded. Results indicated that BSFL were capable of digesting goat manure, banana, and cabbage, though the respective digestion rates differed. The waste reduction capacity ranged from 21.82 % - 36.74 %, with the highest achieved with banana and the lowest was goat manure. The highest growth rates of BSFL in terms of weight, diameter, and length were achieved by digesting cabbage waste, followed by banana and goat manure. There is a high potential to utilize BSFL in agro-waste management due to its eco-friendly and sustainable method.

Insecticidal Activity of Kaffir Lime (Citrus hystrix) against Rice Weevil (Sitophylus oryzae)

Adila Fazliyana Aili Hamzah — 2024-03-01

The aim of this study is to analyze the potential use of kaffir lime leaves and peel extract as bioinsecticides against rice weevils. The assessment of bioinsecticidal activity was studied through contact activity, repellency, antifeedant, and progeny and growth development tests. Contact activity tests resulted in increased adult mortality with increased extract concentrations from 10 to 50 mg/L after 24 hours. The leaf extract (LC50=18 mg/L) showed a higher mortality rate compared to fruit peel extracts (LC50=54 mg/L), with 100 % and 60 % mortality, respectively. The leaf extracts with a mean repellency of 68 % significantly repelled rice weevils compared to the 42 % repellency of fruit peel extracts. The leaf extract was classified in repellency class IV, while the peel extract was in repellency class II. With the use of Kaffir lime leaf extracts, F1 adults were completely suppressed at 20 mg/L concentration of leaf extract with a 100 % inhibition rate.

Effects of Blue and Green Light-Emitting Diode (LED) on the Vegetative and Reproductive Growth of Black Jelly Mushroom (Auricularia auricula-judae)

Roshita Ibrahim — 2024-03-01

Light is an essential source during the cultivation of mushrooms, which significantly affects the productivity of black jelly mushrooms (Auricularia auricula-judae) in both vegetative and reproductive growth. The application of a light-emitting diode (LED) is proven to be beneficial in several plants and mushroom cultivation. This study focused on the effects of blue and green LED treatments on the vegetative and reproductive growth of black jelly mushroom. During vegetative and reproductive stages, mushroom bags were exposed to three conditions, Control (without LED treatment), blue LED and green LED. The LED treated mushroom bags showed a slower vegetative growth rate compared to the control. However, exposure to Blue LED during the reproductive stage tends to be the most effective treatment among all the LED treatments as it took the least time for pinhead emergence (26.2 to 32.6 days), and green LED shortened the time for fruiting bodies formation (17.0 to 19.4 days). Based on the yield of fruiting bodies, exposure to blue LED during the reproductive stage also resulted in a maximum yield (302.4 g) with a larger mushroom size (13.56 cm). In conclusion, the application of LED during the vegetative stage is unnecessary, but the application of blue and green LEDs during the reproductive stage could improve the growth and yield of black jelly mushrooms.

Automatic Monitoring of Class A Pan Evaporation using the Internet of Things (IoT)

Mohd Fauzie Jusoh — 2024-03-01

This study aimed to assess suitable water level sensor types and implement the automated monitoring of water levels within a Class A pan evaporation system using the Internet of Things (IoT). Both analogue and ultrasonic water level sensors underwent testing in controlled laboratory conditions for performance analysis. The results showed that the analogue water level sensor exhibited suboptimal output sensor responses compared to the ultrasonic sensor, primarily due to its susceptibility to variations in solution types and immersion depths. In contrast, ultrasonic sensors demonstrated strong performance with acceptable error rates, as evidenced by the Mean Absolute Error (MAE) of 1.03, Root Mean Squared Error (RMSE) of 1.42, and Coefficient of Determination (R²) of 0.94 during laboratory testing. However, the ultrasonic sensor's performance was somewhat reduced during field testing, exhibiting accuracy levels ranging from 6.7% to 51.2% within a greenhouse environment during rock melon cultivation. These discoveries highlight the feasibility of using ultrasonic sensors with environmental calibration to automate real-time evaporation measurements towards precision irrigation practices.