Application of ChatGPT in soil science research and the perceptions of soil scientists in Indonesia

Since its arrival in late November 2022,ChatGPT-3.5 has rapidly gained popularity and significantly impacted how research is planned,conducted,and published using a generative artificial intelligence approach.ChatGPT-4 was released four months later and became more popular in November 2023.However,there is little study about the perception of scientists of these chatbots,especially in soil science.This article presents the new findings of a brief research investigating soil scientists’responses and perceptions towards chatbots in Indonesia.This artificial intelligence application facilitates conversation-based interactions in text format.The study evaluated ten ChatGPT answers to fundamental questions in soil science,which has developed into a normal science with a mutually agreed-upon paradigm.The evaluation was carried out by seven soil scientists recognized for their expertise in Indonesia,using a scale of 1-100.In addition,a questionnaire was distributed to soil scientists at the National Research and Innovation Agency of the Republic of Indonesia(BRIN),universities,and Indonesian Soil Science Society(HITI)members to gauge their perception of ChatGPT’s presence in the research field.The study results indicate that the scores of ChatGPT answers range from 82.99 to 92.24.ChatGPT-4 is better than both the paid and free versions of ChatGPT-3.5.There is no significant difference between the English and Indonesian versions of ChatGPT-4.0.However,the perception of general soil scientists about the level of trust is only 55%.Furthermore,80%of soil scientists believe that chatbots can only be used as digital tools to assist in soil science research and cannot be used without the involvement of soil scientists.

Liberica coffee as an alternative cropping system for sustainable farming on Indonesian Peatlands

Indonesian peatlands are a fragile ecosystem,and to protect it,growing Liberica coffee is a promising way for both the environment and the economy.This study aimed to evaluate the performance of the liberica coffee on peatland with different water tables and develop an improved cultivation system in this ecosystem.The study area was in Tanjung Jabung Barat District,Jambi Province,Indonesia.The plant age is greater than 15 years and the average plant density was about 1000 trees/hm2.The study was conducted in two stages.The 1st stage was a survey to identify and characterize smallholder liberica coffee farming at three peatland zones,namely 0-100 m,200-300 m,and>400 m from the principal drainage canal,and the 2nd stage was a field experiment to test the effectiveness of amendments in improving liberica coffee growth and improving degraded peatland.The treatments were arranged in a randomized complete block design with four replications,including manure(M),at the rate of 10 t/hm^(2);lime(L),3 t/hm^(2);peat surface elevation(P),and a farmer’s practice(Control)without manure and/or lime as a control.This research revealed that liberica coffee can not tolerate high water table as it may stimulate disease incidence and cause low-quality yield.However,recycling of organic C of about 17.14 t/(hm^(2)·a)through cherry residue application and litter compensated part of the loss of organic C through CO_(2)emissions,coffee bean removal,and maintaining peat fertility for sustainable farming.The low yield of(0.70±0.12)t/(hm^(2)∙a)coffee bean could be increased to(0.87±0.24)and(0.94±0.14)t/(hm^(2)∙a)by adding 3 t/(hm^(2)∙3a)of lime or 10 t/(hm^(2)∙a)of manure,respectively.This research revealed that water table management and amendments are two main factors in liberica coffee farming on peatlands.It is of great significance to study the cultivation technology of coffee in peatland.