ALKU revolutionizes banana production with artificial intelligence
Academics at Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ) aim to reduce water consumption and increase crop yield by developing an AI-based production model for greenhouses through their TÜBİTAK-supported "Muz-AI" project.
Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University (ALKÜ) continues to pioneer scientific advancement by contributing to projects that benefit both the country and the region. Most recently, ALKÜ academics have launched yet another groundbreaking project in agricultural technology. Titled "Muz-AI: AI-Based Modeling of Banana Plant Growth and Yield in Greenhouses and Dataset Creation for Precision Agriculture Applications," the project has been selected for funding by TÜBİTAK ARDEB 1001 – Electrical, Electronics and Informatics Research Support Group (EEEAG). It will be carried out over 36 months with a budget of 2.4 million Turkish lira. The project is led by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akın Oktav from ALKÜ's Department of Mechanical Engineering, with Assoc. Prof. Dr. Özge Öztimur Karadağ from the Department of Computer Engineering and Prof. Dr. Murat Alper Başaran from the Department of Industrial Engineering serving as researchers, and Assoc. Prof. Dr. Fırat Arslan from the Department of Biosystems Engineering serving as a consultant. Under the approved project, an AI-based model will be developed for greenhouse banana production with the goals of reducing water consumption and increasing crop yield. The study, which will contribute to the Agriculture 4.0 vision, will establish a proof-of-concept model for real-time data-driven precision agriculture applications. Through this model, an AI algorithm capable of defining input-output relationships with high accuracy (>90%) will be developed, and greenhouse efficiency will be maximized.
RECTOR TÜRKDOĞAN: "WE ARE DEVELOPING ALANYA AND ITS SURROUNDINGS"
ALKÜ Rector Prof. Dr. Kenan Ahmet Türkdoğan congratulated the academics who contributed to this important work, stating: "As a university, we have always stood behind scientific research and consistently supported our academics' projects that add value to our country and region. As ALKÜ, we care deeply about the all-around development of Alanya and its surroundings, and we continue to contribute to regional growth guided by science. I believe the AI-based model to be developed will make significant contributions to both agricultural productivity and environmentally friendly production practices."
ASSOC. PROF. DR. OKTAV: "WE WILL REDUCE WATER CONSUMPTION AND INCREASE CROP YIELD"
Project Principal Investigator Assoc. Prof. Dr. Akın Oktav highlighted the importance of agricultural technologies, stating: "Agricultural technologies have emerged with the goal of enhancing sustainability and developing more effective production methods. The process known today as Agriculture 4.0 represents the fourth agricultural revolution, advancing toward a smarter, more efficient, and environmentally conscious agricultural sector through the use of digital technologies. Technological innovations such as big data, artificial intelligence, robotics, the Internet of Things, and augmented reality are making their impact felt across all sectors, including agriculture. By adapting these technologies to farming, new production approaches such as precision agriculture, digital agriculture, and smart agriculture are emerging. In particular, data-driven strategies for the efficient cultivation and maintenance of crops on arable land are of great importance today. Through this project, we will reduce water consumption in greenhouses while increasing crop yield."
