Muhammad Ansori

The limited efficiency of conventional seed potato production systems highlights the need for alternative cultivation strategies to improve productivity and planting material quality. Hydroponic systems offer a promising solution; however, comparative evidence regarding suitable growing media for potato production under tropical highland greenhouse conditions remains limited. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of potato variety and growing medium on plant growth and tuber yield under a hydroponic drip irrigation system. A factorial experiment was conducted using two potato varieties (Granola L and Tedjo MZ) and two growing media (rice husk charcoal and cocopeat), arranged in a completely randomized design with ten replicates. Plants were cultivated under greenhouse conditions and supplied with a commercial AB-mix nutrient solution. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance followed by the least significant difference test at the 1% significance level. The results showed that growing medium significantly affected all measured growth and yield parameters, whereas potato variety and the interaction between factors had no significant effects. Cocopeat produced greater plant height (50.70 cm), number of leaves (61.65 plant⁻¹), tuber number (19.35 tubers plant⁻¹), tuber fresh weight (466.87 g plant⁻¹), and tuber volume (404.28 cm³ plant⁻¹) than rice husk charcoal. In conclusion, substrate selection was the key factor influencing hydroponic potato performance under the tested conditions, and cocopeat was the more suitable medium for improving seed potato production efficiency in tropical highland regions and similar environments worldwide sustainably.

Crop Life

Kanya Octafirani Chandra

This study examines the relationship between Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) economic pillar indicators and regional economic performance across Java Island, Indonesia, during the 2015–2022 period. Using panel data regression analysis, the study investigates the influence of electricity accessibility, open unemployment rate, manufacturing industry growth, income inequality, and internet usage on regional economic growth. The findings reveal that manufacturing industry growth is positively and statistically significantly associated with regional economic performance, indicating the important contribution of industrial sector expansion to economic development in Java Island. In contrast, internet usage demonstrates a negative and statistically significant association with economic growth. This result should be interpreted cautiously because it may reflect structural disparities, unequal digital productivity, or consumption-oriented internet behavior rather than a direct negative causal effect on economic performance. Meanwhile, electricity accessibility, open unemployment rate, and income inequality do not show statistically significant relationships with regional economic growth during the observed period. Overall, the findings suggest that sectoral productivity and structural economic transformation play a more substantial role than basic infrastructure indicators in shaping regional economic performance. These results contribute to the growing literature on SDGs-based economic development and provide practical insights for policymakers in formulating more balanced, inclusive, and sustainable regional development strategies. Strengthening productive sectors while improving the quality of digital utilization may support long-term economic resilience and sustainable development achievement across regions in Indonesia more effectively overall. Future studies are encouraged to include environmental, educational, and institutional indicators to provide broader explanations of regional economic sustainability in Indonesia today.

Sustainable Economy

Beni Azwar Suganda Hasibuan

The increasing demand for nutrient-dense vegetables under conditions of limited agricultural land requires sustainable cultivation approaches that support yield and nutritional value. Red spinach microgreens are considered a promising functional food; however, their performance may be influenced by growing media quality and cultivation inputs. This study evaluated the effects of bamboo biochar application and different concentrations of bamboo vinegar on the growth, sensory quality, and iron (Fe) content of red spinach (Amaranthus tricolor L.) microgreens. A factorial (2 × 6) experiment in a completely randomized design was conducted using cocopeat as the growing medium, with biochar application (with and without) and bamboo vinegar concentrations of 0, 50, 100, 200, 400, and 800 ppm. No significant interaction between biochar and bamboo vinegar was detected. Biochar application significantly improved overall plant growth and sensory attributes compared with the non-biochar treatment. Bamboo vinegar significantly affected plant height and fresh biomass, with the highest responses observed at 200–800 ppm for plant height and at 800 ppm for fresh weight. Iron content ranged from 202.09 to 481.66 ppm and was expressed on a fresh weight basis, which may be influenced by plant water content and thus limits direct comparison with studies reported on a dry weight basis. Therefore, Fe values in this study should be interpreted comparatively within treatments rather than as absolute nutritional equivalence to mature plants or other studies. Under the conditions of this study, biochar and selected bamboo vinegar concentrations showed potential to improve red spinach microgreen production and may contribute to low-input urban agriculture systems.

Crop Life

Azis Ikhsanudin, Teuku Nanda Saifullah Sulaiman, Khadijah Zai, Navista Sri Octa Ujiantari

Curcumin has been widely reported to exhibit anticancer potential; however, its clinical application is limited by poor aqueous solubility and low permeability. This study aimed to develop a thermoresponsive hydrogel system based on Poloxamer 407 and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) for localized curcumin delivery through sol–gel transition at physiological temperature. Curcumin nanoparticles were prepared via ionic gelation and incorporated into hydrogel matrices containing varying ratios of Poloxamer 407 and HPMC. Optimization was performed using Response Surface Methodology. pH, gelation time, and viscosity were selected as critical quality attributes reflecting the applicability of in situ hydrogels. The evaluated responses included pH (5–7), gelation time (9–11 min), and viscosity (2000–5000 mPa·s), with model validation based on lack-of-fit > 0.05, high R², a difference between adjusted and predicted R² < 0.2, and adequate precision > 4. Nano-curcumin exhibited a particle size of 423.03 ± 27.80 nm, PDI of 0.59 ± 0.08, and a zeta potential of −12.47 ± 0.74 mV. The optimized formulation (17.067% Poloxamer 407 and 4% HPMC) achieved a desirability value of 0.86, with a pH of 5.85, gelation time of 9 minutes, and viscosity of 4389.76 mPa·s. In vitro release followed the Korsmeyer–Peppas model, indicating diffusion-controlled release and suggesting the suitability of the optimized thermosensitive hydrogel as a localized curcumin delivery platform. These findings provide a basis for further investigation of the system’s stability and performance under extended conditions.

Sciences of Pharmacy

Intania Evarahmani

The availability of uniform and high-quality robusta coffee seedlings remains a major constraint in nursery production, particularly due to suboptimal shoot initiation following wedge grafting. Natural plant growth regulators (PGRs) derived from organic sources may offer an alternative approach to improve early graft performance. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of different types and concentrations of natural PGRs on the growth of wedge-grafted robusta coffee (Coffea robusta L. ) seedlings. The experiment was arranged in a factorial Completely Randomized Design with three natural PGR sources (shallot extract, bean sprout extract, and coconut water) and four concentration levels (25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%), with three replications and four seedlings per experimental unit. Growth parameters were measured at 90 days after grafting. Results showed that PGR type significantly affected leaf area and highly significantly affected shoot number. Coconut water produced the highest shoot number (2.54 shoots), 17.1% higher than shallot extract, whereas shallot extract resulted in the largest leaf area (42.29 cm²), 11.2% greater than coconut water. PGR concentration significantly influenced shoot emergence time, shoot length, and shoot number. Regression analysis suggested that the highest responses within the tested range occurred near 25% concentration for shoot emergence, around 48% for shoot length, and around 68.75% for shoot number. Significant interaction effects indicated that treatment responses varied according to PGR source. In conclusion, the effectiveness of natural PGRs in wedge-grafted robusta coffee seedlings varied according to source type and concentration under the conditions of this study.

Crop Life

Anjelina Daima, Andi Rosano, Trisna Fajar Prasetyo

Open-field tomato cultivation is vulnerable to environmental fluctuations, yet manual monitoring often leads to inaccurate decisions. This study aims to design and validate a low-cost Internet of Things (IoT)-based soil quality monitoring prototype, addressing the gap in accessible real-time alert systems for small-scale farming. The system integrates a NodeMCU ESP8266 with soil moisture, temperature (DS18B20), air humidity (DHT11), and pH sensors, visualized via Blynk and Telegram. Conducted over 14 d with nine experimental units across three soil media (clay, sandy, and humus), the study focused on technical prototype validation. Results indicate the system monitored moisture levels (43–47%) and temperatures (≈30.3 °C) with high reliability. Automated irrigation activated at ≈60% and deactivated at 80% moisture, maintaining an uptime of ≥95%. Sensor verification showed temperature deviations below ±1 °C. Unlike existing greenhouse-centric models, this work implements a multi-parameter sensing framework tailored for open-field conditions using affordable hardware. While this study successfully validates the prototype's operational stability and data synchronization, it is primarily a technical verification; further research is required to evaluate agronomic impacts such as yield and water-use efficiency.

Digital System and Computing

Nur Hikma A Aman, Ruslin Ruslin, Hijrah Syam

Developing speaking skills remains a challenge for EFL learners, particularly in pronunciation and fluency, which often show limited improvement under conventional instruction. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of Digital Storytelling (DST) in supporting students’ speaking skills in a secondary school context. A quantitative quasi-experimental design with a non-equivalent control group was employed, involving 55 eleventh-grade students at SMAN 4 Palu divided into an experimental group (n = 31) and a control group (n = 24). Data were collected through speaking pre-tests and post-tests and analyzed using descriptive statistics and paired-samples t-tests. The results showed that both groups improved in speaking performance. The experimental group improved in pronunciation from 57.61 to 70.16 and in fluency from 57.03 to 71.16, while the control group improved in pronunciation from 62.00 to 77.87 and in fluency from 63.33 to 81.66. A paired-samples t-test based on the combined scores of all participants revealed a statistically significant difference between pre-test and post-test results (t = 23.242, p < 0.001), indicating overall improvement after the instructional treatment. These findings suggest that DST can be considered a useful complementary strategy for enhancing students’ speaking skills through meaningful practice and multimodal engagement, although the results should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited sample size and the absence of random assignment.

Education and Learning

Galang Yanu Achmad Ramadan, Eko Sulistya

Flood disasters frequently cause significant socio-economic losses in developing countries, while many existing early warning systems remain costly, complex, or insufficiently accessible for real-time community use. This study proposes a low-cost IoT-based flood early warning system using a conductive K-0135 water level sensor integrated with a NodeMCU ESP8266 microcontroller and HTTP-based communication architecture. The novelty of this work lies in the use of a conductive sensor with systematic threshold characterization under both static and dynamic conditions to reduce false alarms while maintaining reliable detection performance. The methodology involved sensor characterization through controlled laboratory experiments, including static testing with 0.5 cm depth increments and dynamic testing simulating rainfall splashes. The results show a non-linear increase in sensor output with depth, ranging from 16.3 at 0.0 cm to 565.3 at 4.0 cm. Dynamic testing produced an average maximum output of 424.7, leading to an optimal detection threshold of 425. The integrated system achieved a communication success rate of 100% in delivering real-time alerts via HTTP requests to a web server and Telegram platform. An HTTP error code −11 was observed, corresponding to a timeout condition caused by network latency; however, this did not affect successful alert transmission. The findings are limited to controlled laboratory-scale testing and have not yet been validated under real environmental conditions. Overall, the proposed system demonstrates the feasibility of a low-cost, threshold-based IoT solution for real-time flood early warning applications and highlights its potential for improving community-level disaster preparedness.

Digital System and Computing

Assifa Dina Aisyah

Giant clams (Tridacnidae) play an important ecological role in coral reef ecosystems; however, their populations continue to decline due to habitat degradation and overexploitation. Despite increasing conservation efforts, site-specific information on habitat preference, particularly related to substrate composition, remains limited in many Indonesian reef systems, including Bama Waters, Baluran National Park. This study aimed to assess the community structure and substrate habitat preferences of giant clams in this area. Field surveys were conducted at four stations using belt transect and quadrat methods, complemented by underwater photo transect analysis for substrate characterization and measurement of key environmental parameters. Community structure was analyzed using density and the Shannon Wiener diversity index, while habitat preference was evaluated using Ivlev’s electivity index. A total of three giant clam species were recorded with Tridacna crocea dominating with a density of 0.52 ind/ha. Diversity was categorized as low to moderate and varied spatially in relation to substrate composition. Stations with mixed substrates, particularly hard coral and rubble, supported higher diversity values. Electivity analysis revealed species-specific habitat preferences, with T. crocea favoring rocky substrates, T. maxima associated with hard coral and rubble, and T. squamosa showing weaker habitat specialization. This finding shows that substrate composition plays an important role. It also influences species distribution. This study provides site-specific ecological information that may support more effective conservation and management strategies for giant clams in coral reef ecosystems.

Aquatic Life Sciences

J. Malavika, K. Thenmozhi

Symplocos obtusa Wall. Ex G. Don. (Symplocaceae) is an endemic medicinal plant whose pharmacological potential remains largely uncharacterized. This study utilized integrated in vitro and in silico methodologies to establish a comprehensive phytochemical and therapeutic profile of its ethanolic leaf extract. Initial screening revealed a significant extractive yield of 6.0%, with substantial concentrations of total phenolics (4.30 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g), tannins (2.91 ± 0.02 mg GAE/g), and flavonoids (71.15 ± 0.86 mg RE/g). Structural characterization via FTIR spectroscopy confirmed diverse functional groups, while GC-MS analysis identified 19 bioactive constituents with putative pharmacological relevance. The extract demonstrated potent antioxidant capacity across multiple benchmarks, yielding an $I{C}_{50}$ of 26.55 ± 0.61 µg/mL in DPPH assays, alongside robust activity in ABTS (27.09 ± 0.11 µmol/g) and phosphomolybdenum (51.38 ± 0.08 mg/g) evaluations. Computational in silico modeling further corroborated the safety and therapeutic viability of the identified compounds, predicting favorable drug-likeness and low toxicity profiles (Classes IV–VI). Collectively, these findings validate S. obtusa as a prolific reservoir of bioactive secondary metabolites, supporting its development as a candidate for plant-derived drug discovery and antioxidant therapy.

Sciences of Phytochemistry