GRADE school and high school students from Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba in Laguna showcased their agri-inventions at the "Sowing Seeds: Cultivating Youth's Future in Agriculture" session on agri-robotics on Oct. 21, 2024.
As part of its Young Forces for Agricultural Innovation or #Y4AGRI program, the Southeast Asian Regional Center for Graduate Study and Research in Agriculture (SEARCA) organized the session through its Partnerships Unit.
Participants in the session were 96 grade school and high school students from Letran Calamba, University of the Philippines Rural High School, Colegio De Los Baños and Christian School International.
This session on agri-innovation is anchored in the International Youth Day 2024 theme, "From Clicks to Progress: Youth Digital Pathways for Sustainable Development."
"Agriculture is a complex system that includes not only production but also harvesting, postharvest processing, and, ultimately, consumption," SEARCA director Glenn Gregorio, PhD, said during his opening message.
Also underscoring the transformative role of innovation and technology in modern agriculture, Gregorio remarked that "agriculture is the culmination of human labor, nature and technology."
The session featured agri-robotics demonstrations by the student inventors from Colegio de San Juan de Letran Calamba.
Gregorio said these students won at the International Exhibition for Young Inventors or IEYI 2024 at the National Taiwan Normal University in Taipei.
He noted that through this session, the young inventors were given a platform to "inspire their fellow youth and spark their interest in agriculture, particularly in technological innovation."
Czyan Knox Arcibal, Isabelle Visico and Francine Jaic Conde demonstrated the use of their invention, Circular Irrigation with Moisture Detection System (CIMDS).
Designed to automate the irrigation process through soil moisture level detection, CIMDS also reduces the need for manual labor while ensuring that crops are receiving the precise amount of water needed.
Gian Carlo de Guzman, Louise Andrei Garcia and John Caleb Robles also demonstrated their TempHydroponics which monitors hydroponic plants' temperature and pH levels through an electrical conductivity sensor that "detects nutrient deficiencies to maintain a balanced nutrient solution."
Daniel Eleazar Camangon and Anne Marie Jael presented their Leak and Overflow Detection Arduino System or LODS which was designed to "detect leaks and overflows, sending real-time alerts that allow immediate troubleshooting and prevent further damage."
Gregorio also drew from his experiences as a young scientist and shared motivational messages and insights into improving the students' agri-inventions.
The participants were given a tour of the SEARCA Hub for Agriculture and Rural Innovation for the Next Generation or SHARING AgriMuseum and SEARCA Sky Garden.
Aiming to foster interest in agriculture among young Southeast Asians, Gregorio said the initiative "emphasizes the potential of agriculture as a promising career and encourages young people to explore higher education options in this field."