Design Optimization of Nutrient and Water Application in Chili Plant Based on Living Lab in Parepare City

Chili is one of the leading national food commodities. Price variations and inflation in Parepare City are frequently caused by its reliance on supply from outside the region. The development of chili cultivation by utilizing IoT technology can increase crop productivity. This research proposes a design for optimizing the provision of nutrients and water to chili plants using the Living Lab approach, where there are four main activities: Plan, Build, Run, and Evaluate, which require integration from the technology and non-technology side. The involvement of stakeholders, such as the government, community, and farmer groups with researchers from the planning to evaluating stage, has resulted in the design of technological solutions that can answer the challenges of inflation. In this study, with a total of 36 respondents, most stakeholders, 84 %, were interested in the technological solution design. Furthermore, 50% of stakeholders stated that the technology could be applied to a land area of 10–20 m’ of chili plants. This research verifies that the Living Lab approach to improving digital literacy can help develop a resilient and sustainable local economy.