International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056

Volume: 10 Issue: 05 | May 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

A review on Automation in Hydroponics

Naveen Bilagi¹, Nandana M Hegde², Ketan Karande³, Dinesh K Naik 4, Hemanth Suvarna5,

Alva's Institute of Engineering and Technology, Moodbidri – 574225,

Mangalore, Karnataka India.
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Abstract - Space has always been the big problem for those comes from Greece, hydro means water, and ponies means
who live in urban areas. “HYDROPONICS” is the growing of work. Based on the problems above, one of the researchers
plants in a liquid nutrient solution with or without the use of tried to solve this by combining hydroponic methods, and
artificial media. The objective is to identify hydroponic system IoT technology, and ‘fuzzy’ logic to make a smart controlling
for those who are living in an apartment in an urban area. that can automatically control plants nutrition’s and water
Livings in apartments have limited space to do farming needs. By utilizing internet of things (IOT) technology, the
activities. to help people so that they can farm in a small area sensor device can communicate and send data to a cloud
and have limited space in the urban areas. Apart from that server to be processed and monitored in real time scenario.
continuous use of traditional farming practices with Each sensor is connected to Arduino board to control plant
conventional tillage and burning off the crop residues has needs automatically by using fuzzy logic technology so that
reduced the soil resource base and intensified soil degradation the control system will automatically add nutrients to the
with decrease in crop production capacity. also, escalating plant. The results of processing data from
fuel, fertilizers and other input costs; necessitates the effective
use of resources in agriculture. In Hydroponics, there is a 2. History
challenge of precision agriculture, especially for some sensitive
plants, e.g., Coriander and lettuce. These kinds of plants need a The Greek words "hydro" (which means water) and "ponos,"
precise amount of nutrient and water every time to grow which means labor, are the origin of the name "hydroponics."
ideally. Internet-of-Things (IoT) is a technology that enables This phrase was first used in 1929 by Dr. Gericke, a professor
regular monitoring of every aspect of human life. By the use of from California who was developing what had previously
these technologies, we can easily control the nutrients been a lab technique into a practical way to cultivate plants.
required for the plants to grow. During World War II, the U.S. Army used hydroponic culture
to grow fresh food for troops stationed on barren Pacific
Key Words: Internet-of-things, Hydroponics, Nutrients. islands. Commercially successful farms existed in America,
Europe, Africa, and Asia by the 1950s.
1. INTRODUCTION
3. Benefits of hydroponics include:
Agriculture is the most critical sector in India. With the
increasing population every year, the food availability is a (1) Crops grown hydroponically have a high yield and are
necessity that must always be achieved by the agricultural free from disease, weed infestation, and soil-borne insects
industry. However, with the increasing development, a lot of and pests.
agricultural lands is converted for uses such as the
construction of housing complexes, industrial estates, trade (2) Food grown in soilless cultures is organic, and no
zones and public facilities which will undoubtedly have a dangerous toxics or pesticides are used.
negative economic, social and environmental impact. This
(3) Gardening requires less room since plants with short
agricultural land reduction will certainly also cause a decline
roots can be cultivated near to one another.
in agricultural production capacity, thus making the
government have to import agricultural products to meet (4) Crops grown in hydroponic systems grow twice as
domestic food needs. Agricultural technology is proliferating quickly and produce twice as much, allowing for increased
in urban areas now. One solution that can be done by the productivity in the same amount of space.
community is to develop an agricultural system that can be
done with limited land availability or commonly called urban (5) There is no water waste because the process only applies
farming or urban agriculture. Urban farming or urban 1/20th as much water to the crops as conventional farming
agriculture is one of the practical solutions to overcome the does.
reduction of agricultural land. Urban agriculture uses land
that is not used in urban areas, such as roofs, balconies, (6) Demands less work.
patios, even on walls of buildings. One of the agricultural
techniques used in urban farming is hydroponics. Methods (7) Crops can be cultivated without concern for the varying
using hydroponics is one of the possible ways to be able to seasons.
do agriculture even without agricultural land. Hydroponics

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 05 | May 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

4. Limitations:
While hydroponics offers many advantages, it also has some
drawbacks. Setting up a large-scale application requires
technical expertise. Additional setup costs are expensive and
necessitate ongoing oversight. Due to improper management,
water-based infections can readily be introduced via
hydroponics procedures. Not all crops can be produced using
these techniques, which is another significant constraint.
Carrot and potatoes are a couple of examples. pH, humidity,
and temperature are additional restrictions.

5. Problems:
Fig -1: The above figure shows the wick system
Since the price of a hydroponics system is considerable, poor
Indian farmers cannot afford them. Growing crops need very 7.Techniques for Managing Nutrients
profound abilities and practical knowledge. Less awareness
The difficulty of managing nutrients is a closed system's main
leads to an unfocused agriculture sector in India. It is not
drawback. There are four basic methods that are frequently
simple to impart knowledge and training to farmers of all
used.
income levels, from the poor to the average. Another motive
is to help the farmer generate interest and ensure better 7.1 Technique 1
outcomes and high harvests. The farmers need to hire a
horticulture or skilled staff if they are willing to work in this Automatic control of electrical conductivity (EC), pH, and
field but lack knowledge of the system. And a major issue is water addition. While the EC provides an estimate of the
really finding employees at reasonable salaries. nutrient content, the pH measures the substrate's acidity and
regulates the availability of mineral nutrients. Because
6. Hydroponic system in total: overall nutrient availability is optimized at a slightly acidic
pH, a hydroponic culture should have a pH between 5.0 and
6.1 open system 6.0, and the EC level should be between 1.5 and 3 ds m-1.
• Rockwool Culture: The hydroponics industry's most 7.2 Technique 2
popular media. Rockwool is made of heated, ground-up basalt
rock that is spun into threads to create wool. It is frequently The holding tank's water makeup is automatically controlled,
supplied in cube form and is quite light. Rockwool has the typically by a float valve, so the tank level is maintained.
capacity to store water and maintain an adequate amount of Water and nutrients are present here.
air (at least 18 percent) to support healthy root growth.
8. Review
6.2 Closed system
B.A. Kratky Et.al in his research he found methods to grow
• NFT and Rockwool: Plants are established on small plants in suspended net pot method which used a model
rockwool slabs positioned in channels containing recycled growing system consisting of a tank which is filled with 4 to
nutrient solution. 8 liters of nutrient solution for a plant before planting.
Lettuce can be seeded or transplanted into containers
These systems are additionally divided into:
containing growing medium. The pot is supported by the
1. passive devices tank cover such that their lower portion is initially immersed
in nutrient solution. Figure shows the setup model used for
2. active systems the research.

A wick and growing medium with a high capillary action are

used in passive systems. This enables water to be drawn to
the roots of the plant. By far, the most straightforward
hydroponic system is the Wick System. Active systems
function by continuously transferring a nutritional solution to
the roots of plants.

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Volume: 10 Issue: 05 | May 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Tank
Cover
Time

Air or Oxygen Moist air

roots space
(Imai, 1987 )
Nutrient
Solution Water and
nutrient
roots

Fig -2: B.A Kratky research

It completes the research concept of non-circulating Fig -3: The above figure shows the IOT overview
hydroponics, which can grow plants using water and
nutrient solutions without the need for both electricity and The above figure shows the general idea of this method. The
pumps. Elongated roots absorb nutrients to form a nutrient use of IoT using an Arduino microcontroller to control and
solution, and roots hanging in moist spaces provide aeration. analyze data from all connected devices and sensors. The IoT
The plant grows, expands airspace and lowers nutrient device used here is useful for monitoring humidity, the
solution, and spreads its roots [1]. temperature of nutrient solution, air temperature, PH, and
EC using an android application.
Except this Mohd. Hafiz Talib et.al conducted a study on
improvising hydroponics systems in Malaysia, where people
live in small condominiums and apartments with little space
to grow plants to solve the problem. I studied the general
layout and based it on him... start looking into the problem.
Using the existing shelving system and considering the
shortcomings we discussed with local farmers and breeders,
we came up with a new design that uses water circulation
technology to save space and is easy to use [2].

In addition, Khairul Aidil Azlin Abd Rahman et al. also

conducted some research in Malaysia and found that 80% of
the food supply was imported and local plant products were
exported. And about 65% of a person's income goes to food
consumption. Existing hydroponic system designs are not
suitable for current lifestyle requirements. This allows users
to farm in tight spaces. A hydroponics system could cut him Fig -4: The above figure shows the IOT Controller
40% of his living expenses. He then proposed another type of
Below figure shows the flowchart of the controller
hydroponics method for shelving systems and, in conclusion,
programmed output system along with the implementation
this study helped urban dwellers understand the importance
methods used by the researcher.
of home-grown food while reducing food costs[3].

Apart from these traditional methods, Herman et al.

conducted research using IOT (Internet of Things)
technology. IoT is a technology that monitors every aspect of
human life. This allows you to control the levels of nutrients
and aqueous solutions. He used fuzzy logic (fuzzy logic that
attempts to solve the open and imprecise data spectrum
problem) to control nutrient flow using sensors.

Fig -5: The above figure shows the flow chart

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 International Research Journal of Engineering and Technology (IRJET) e-ISSN: 2395-0056
Volume: 10 Issue: 05 | May 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

After the experimentation for 4 weeks the research aquaponic systems.However, we found no distinctions
concluded that this hybrid system showed better progress in between the two soilless systems in terms of plant quality
plant growth than in the traditional one by comparing the (chlorophyll) or leaf nutrient levels. These two
data statistics and growth comparison as depicted below characteristics were unaffected by the addition of extra
fertilisers to the aquaponic systems[5].

Martin P.N. Ghent et al. studied the metabolites of plants

affected by sunlight, such as diurnal altitude and water
content, and analyzed the tissue structure of lettuce and the
variety of hydroponically produced lettuce (Lactuca sativa
L.). We collected the sizes AM or PM. And their compositions
were measured. The range of insolation integrals was 4 to 14
mol mL2 day. In this study, plant sizes ranged from 2 to 260
g fresh weight (FW)/plant and photosynthetically active
irradiance. The increase in dry matter content in normalized
Fig -5: Comparison of traditional and Smart control
irradiance per unit area can be used to explain much of the
So concluding that smart controlling is better than variation in tissue composition on a FW basis. Except for
traditional methods[4]. nitrate, metabolite concentrations increased with FW-based
irradiation, and changes with irradiation were greater in the
Subhrajit Saha Et.alfrom USA made a research by comparing afternoon than in the morning harvest.
the methods of growing plants without soil i.e Hydroponics
and aquaphonics. As study tanks of 95 L (25 Gal) capacity After considering the data collected, he concluded that the
dark polyethylene containers (16.88" 18.75" 27 cm3 - h " w " leaf area index and light absorption per unit leaf area or
d) were employed. Hydroponics and aquaponics were each weight vary between plants of different sizes. Small plants
given four tanks. Tanks were stocked with 83 L (22 Gal) of have widely spaced leaves that are exposed to all of the
pH-neutral tap water. All tanks were equipped with a double sunlight that falls on the canopy. Since larger plants have
air pump (75-225 L capacity) and two air stones (30 mm more leaf area and more leaf overlap, there is typically less
round). light intensity per unit leaf area. Small plants should be
predicted to have faster rates of photosynthesis and nitrate
Each aquaponic tank received the release of four mature reduction and, thus, bigger changes in sugars and nitrate
crayfish. Because crayfish are territorial, each tank was filled than large plants because of the higher light intensity per
with various pieces of PVC pipe shelters to deter conflict and unit leaf area [6].
enhance crayfish survivability. Gallardo-Coll et al. utilised
PVC shelters in a similar manner (2014). Each container lid PERFORMANCE OF VEGETABLES UNDER HYDROPONICS
had a surface area of 506.25 cm2 (18.75 cm " 27 cm). Five SYSTEM [7]
circular cuts, one in each, were made on the lids.The net pots Type of crops Name of the crops
holding the seedlings should be inserted into each corner
and one in the centre. Cereals Rice, Maize

Basil was planted at a density of 5 seedlings per 506.25 cm2 Fruits Strawberry
(100 plants per square metre). In this investigation, slotted
net pots with a diameter of 12.7 cm (5 in) were employed. To Vegetables Tomato, Chilli etc
hold the basil seedlings, pots lined with coconut coir and
vermiculite (60:40) were constructed. On August 14, 2015, Leafy vegetables Lettuce, Spinach
seedlings that were three weeks old were sown in net pots
and transferred to tanks. Condiments Methi, Parsley

And after the experimentation comparison he concluded that Aquaponics:

Basil may be grown in soilless hydroponic and aquaponic
Aquaponics is a bio-integrated system that links
systems with little water, which has the potential to solve the
recirculating aquaculture with hydroponic vegetable, flower,
problems of land and water scarcity. Compared to
and/or herb production. Recent advances by researchers
hydroponic basil, aquaponic basil produced plants with 14%
and growers alike have turned aquaponics into a working
greater height and 56% greater fresh weight. We come to the
model of sustainable food production. This publication
conclusion that the extra nutrients provided by the crayfish
provides an introduction to aquaponics with brief profiles of
excreta and unconsumed feed are what are responsible for
working units around the country. An extensive list of
the increased growth and yield in AqB. Therefore, aquatic
resources points the reader to print and Web-based
creatures like crayfish could be used to produce crops in
educational materials for further technical assistance [8].

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Volume: 10 Issue: 05 | May 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

Recently, hydroponics techniques have been proposed as a Significant differences in yield quality were observed
clean and relatively simple method, devoid of the possibility between hydroponic lettuce and conventionally grown
of soil-borne diseases, insect or pest infections of crops, thus lettuce (Murphy et al., 2011). Tomato flavor and acidity,
reducing or eliminating the use of pesticides and reducing carotenoids and vitamins were superior in the hydroponic
the resulting toxicity. In addition, compared to field-grown system (Gruda, 2009). A mixture of 80% pumice + 10%
crops, the plant's growth time is reduced because the roots perlite + 10% peat was found to produce 30% more tomato
are mechanically unhindered and all nutrients are readily yield compared to soil (Matouri et al., 2005). Hydroponic
available to the plant. This technique is very useful in areas tomatoes were thought to be softer and tastier than
where environmental stress (cold, hot, desert, etc.) is a major conventionally grown tomatoes. [14].
problem (Polycarpou et al., 2005). Plants in hydroponic
systems are considered off-season and can grow all year 11. Quality Improved by Hydroponics
round as they are immune to climate change (Manzocco et
al., 2011) [9]. In addition, commercial hydroponic systems Consumption of fruits and vegetables significantly reduces
are automated, expected to reduce labor and eliminate the risk of many types of chronic diseases in humans
traditional farming practices such as weeding, spraying, (Giovannucci et al., 2002; Dorais et al., 2008). Some bioactive
watering and tillage (Jovicich et al., 2003). . Hydroponics compounds and nutrients, such as beta-carotene and
saves a lot of water because it doesn't require irrigation or antioxidants found in vegetables, have beneficial effects on
other types of spraying and doesn't hold water. Pest and health. Therefore, eco-friendly techniques like hydroponics
disease issues are easily controlled, while weeds are can be used to increase health-promoting compounds and
virtually non-existent. Yields are higher due to the larger improve the quality of fruits and vegetables. It is widely used
number of plants per plant compared to conventional for environmental control and protected agriculture. used to
farming. [10]. address uncertainties in soil moisture and nutrient status in
You can also change the nutritional value of fruits and
9. Fodder Production Under Hydroponics vegetables by controlling light and temperature [15].

Growing plants without soil in greenhouses (high-tech or 12. Conclusion Indian hydroponics market
low-cost equipment) in water or nutrient solutions for short potential:
periods of time (about 7-8 days) is hydroponic forage
production. In India, hydroponic forage production prefer Some countries with dry and arid climates like Israel are
corn kernels over other grains. Hydroponic diets have other using hydroponics to great effect. It has great potential for
health benefits due to their palatability, digestibility, and food production. With population growth and soil
nutritional value. Hydroponic feed can be produced to feed degradation due to poor land management, people are
dairy cows using inexpensive equipment in situations where turning to innovative techniques such as hydroponics and
farmers cannot successfully grow conventional feed aeroponics to feed the country. Climate change and natural
(Ramteke et al., 2019). Land is 529.7 million, of which 187 disasters such as droughts and floods require a switch to the
million (19.89%) cattle, 108.7 million (19.89%) buffalo, latest technologies to ensure safe food production. According
71.56 million (13.51%) sheep, 140.54 million (26 to research, the global hydroponics market is projected to be
worth $17.9 billion by 2026. The technology is still in its
54%) goats and 11 million pigs. Over the past 56 years (1951 early stages in India, but there are signs it is on the rise. [16].
to 2007), growth rates for cattle (28.19%), buffalo
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Volume: 10 Issue: 05 | May 2023 www.irjet.net p-ISSN: 2395-0072

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