## 4 Conclusions  
The latest advancements in medicinal and aromatic crops are changing how we perceive and utilize these plants. Sustainable farming practices, genetic enhancements, and investigations into their medicinal qualities are among the innovations driving this transformation. These breakthroughs not only benefit the environment, farmers, and consumers by providing a wider range of top-notch products but also position these crops to be key players in multiple sectors, such as agriculture and healthcare, as the global focus shifts towards sustainability and wellness.  
The study highlighted the effectiveness of using the TCARI and OSAVI indices to estimate crop photosynthetic pigments. A strong correlation between chlorophyll content and the TCARI/OSAVI ratio was observed, helping to account for soil reflectance and crop structure. The combined use of these indices showed promise for accurately estimating chlorophyll levels and reducing the impact of LAI variability. High chlorophyll values were linked to low TCARI/OSAVI and high NDVI values.  
The SSD prototype is an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered medicinal and aromatic crops (MAPs) smart solar dryer, a highly innovative system designed to enhance the drying process of medicinal and aromatic plants by combining solar drying technology with AI to optimize efficiency, quality, and sustainability. The main benefits are energy efficiency (by leveraging solar energy, the dryer reduces reliance on traditional energy sources and minimizes the carbon footprint), higher quality (the system can fine-tune drying parameters to preserve the nutritional value, color, fragrance, and essential oils of the MAPs, which can degrade if dried improperly), cost-effectiveness (reducing energy consumption and enhancing drying quality minimizes crop loss and improves profitability), real-time monitoring and control (allows for remote monitoring and control through apps or web dashboards, offering flexibility to farmers, allowing them to track the drying process and intervene if necessary), and automation (it reduces manual intervention, saving labor costs and improving precision in the drying process).  
Data from sensors was transmitted via Wi-Fi to ThingSpeak for real-time monitoring, providing insights into moisture content and drying rates. These results were similar to those obtained from solar drying of medicinal plants with phase change storage material.  
Regarding the microbiological findings, the application of a drying process in a smart solar system represents a winning strategy to prevent microbial growth.  
Figure 6: Microbial counts of aromatic herbs before and after the dehydration process. Abbreviations: TMM, total mesophilic microorganisms.  
With precision and smart technologies applied to these aromatic crop farms paving the way, the future looks promising for these versatile and valuable plants, offering new opportunities in healthcare, agriculture, nutraceuticalul, cosmetic and food sectors.  
Conceptualization, C.G. and M.M.M.; methodology, R.G., C.G. and M.M.M.; validation, L.S. ([PERSON]), C.G., and S.O.; formal analysis, R.G., S.O., C.G. and L.S. ([PERSON]); resources, C.G. and M.M.M.; data curation, S.O. and R.G.; writing--original draft preparation, S.C., C.G., L.S. ([PERSON]) and S.O.; writing--review and editing, C.G. and S.O.; visualization, C.G., R.G. and S.O.; supervision, C.G. and M.M.M.; project administration, S.C. and M.M.M.; funding acquisition, M.M.M. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.  
This research was funded by the P.re.v.a.n.i.a Project--Prodotti ad elevato valore nutrizionale ed a impatto ambientale ridotto. PSR Sicilia 2014/2022. Financing Decree D.D.S. 2345/2020 of 30 th July 2020. CUP: G66D2000110009.  
Not applicable.  
The original contributions presented in this study are included in the article. Further inquiries can be directed to the corresponding author upon reasonable request.  
The authors declare no conflicts of interest.