UNIPMA — Universitas PGRI Madiun (UNIPMA), in collaboration with the Madiun Regional Forestry Office (CDK), is developing a digital application to facilitate the monitoring of forest farming yields. The system connects reporting from farmers and forest farmer groups (KTH) through WhatsApp and a chatbot with a dashboard for forestry data management.

The application development was carried out on Monday (September 14) to identify needs and address challenges related to the extensive coverage area, the large number of KTHs and farmers, and the limited number of human resources (HR) among extension officers. Forest farming yield reports from the field can be validated and stored in a database, then displayed through a dashboard to support monitoring, reporting, evaluation, and decision-making.

The head of the UNIPMA research team, Hani Atun Mumtahana, M.Kom., from the Information Systems Study Program, said that the application was designed as an integrated digital platform tailored to the needs of users in the field.

“Data from the field is reported by farmers using an easy-to-use technology, namely WhatsApp messages in a predetermined format. This allows the data to be classified, validated by extension officers, and stored in a structured manner before being presented as information through the monitoring dashboard,” she said.

The research team also includes Noordin Asnawi, M.Kom., from the Information Systems Study Program, specializing in Data Science; Yessi Yunitasari, S.Kom., M.Cs., from the Informatics Engineering Study Program, specializing in Machine Learning; and Elana Era Yusdita, S.E., M.S.A., from the Accounting Education Study Program, specializing in Accounting Information Systems.

The involvement of experts from different fields combines technology development, data processing, and information management needs into a single digital solution. For UNIPMA, this development also provides an opportunity to apply the academic expertise of its faculty members to real-world challenges faced by its partner.

Through the application, farmers and KTHs can submit information on forestry activities and yields via WhatsApp and a chatbot. The data is then managed within the system, allowing extension officers and CDK personnel to access information according to their respective access rights to support monitoring, report preparation, and decision-making for mapping regional productivity. In addition, small and medium-sized industries can benefit from access to real-time data on forest farming yields to support their production material needs.

The Head of the Madiun Regional Forestry Office, Dwijo Saputro, S.Hut., M.P., said that digitalization is necessary to support data management amid the extensive work area.

“With the increasingly extensive coverage of the areas under our supervision and limited human resources, digitalization is urgently needed in reporting and data processing,” he said.

Going forward, the application is expected to develop into an integrated forestry platform encompassing the management of farmer and KTH data, geographic information system (GIS)-based mapping, extension services, data analysis, and the utilization of artificial intelligence (AI) to support decision-making.

For UNIPMA, the innovation is part of strengthening partnerships while applying technology to address real-world needs. Its development is also aimed at supporting SDG 9 through the development of technology-based infrastructure and innovation.