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A Monitoring System for Lettuce Cultivation in an NFT Hydroponic System: A Case Study

Abstract:

Agriculture is an activity that is an essential part of the world economy. Due to climate change and the need for food self-sufficiency, innovative solutions to improve production conditions are needed. Hydroponics is an alternative for food self-sufficiency because it allows increasing the yield, growth, quality of different crops. In this sense, there are works focused on the automation of hydroponic systems to monitor the environment and control the nutrient solution for the optimal development of plants. However, in Ecuador, there are no reports of monitoring systems for hydroponic systems that allow reducing the losses of plants in crops. This document describes a case study of the implementation of a monitoring system for lettuce cultivation in an NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) hydroponic system whose objective is to improve the quality and quantity of food. This system provides a mobile application that allows monitoring control variables to take corrective actions and regulate different environmental factors. The system was evaluated in a real scenario obtaining more precise values than traditional methods.