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Automated aeroponics vegetable growing system. case study lettuce

Abstract:

Traditional Agriculture is considered the first form and the most expansive method of cultivation employed until now. It requires many resources, such as soil, water, time, human labor, machinery, etc., that directly influence production cost, ecosystems deterioration, etc. The accelerated increment in the world population faces significant challenges, including ensuring an adequate supply of food and agricultural products. In order to improve productivity and reduce damage to the environment caused by conventional agriculture, the present work describes the implementation of an automated aeroponic cultivation system for a green leaf lettuce culture, controlling parameters of temperature, humidity, and irrigation time, by misting nutrients to the plant roots. It is a low-cost Arduino-based system with an Internet of Things (IoT) tool for remote monitoring variables by connecting to a web server. The proposed method offers an appropriate control action for the aeroponic environment proving to be more efficient than traditional farming. The green leaf lettuce crop compared to a conventional culture show a growth of over 40% in leaves production and diameter; furthermore, in the roots length and the cultivable area density, a performance approximately 400% higher is achieved.