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span>A hydroponics plant can grow healthily with sufficient nutrient, temperature, light, humidity as well as pH level that is indeed vital in ensuring the plants will absorb maximum nutrient elements required. This paper presents automated monitoring and controlling pH levels for the hydroponic cultivation technique. In this study, automated monitoring and controlling of pH levels are developed specifically for the hydroponic cultivation technique. There are three main methods that involved in the development of the system namely hardware, programming and functionality test. Firstly, users need to set the maximum and minimum pH levels as required by the plant. Then, the pH sensor will monitor the real-time pH level of the water. A syringe pump that contains a pH up solution (alkaline) and a pH down solution (acid) will drip the solutions to neutralize the water content if the water pH level is not within the stated ranges as set by the user. Results showed that the automated monitoring and controlling pH levels were successfully developed and functionality was tested and confirmed as desired. The syringe pumps responded perfectly upon changes of the water pH value based on the validation done that showed 100% accuracy of the syringe pump responds. </span
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Indonesian Journal of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
Vol. 18, No. 3, June 2020, pp. 1236~1243
ISSN: 2502-4752, DOI: 10.11591/ijeecs.v18.i3.pp1236-1243 1236
Journal homepage: http://ijeecs.iaescore.com
Automated monitoring and controlling pH levels for
hydroponics cultivation technique
M.F.Saaid, Ahmad Ihsan Mohd Yassin, Nooritawati Md Tahir
Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Malaysia
Article Info
ABSTRACT
Article history:
Received Oct 29, 2019
Revised Dec 31, 2019
Accepted Jan 14, 2020
A hydroponics plant can grow healthily with sufficient nutrient, temperature,
light, humidity as well as pH level that is indeed vital in ensuring the plants
will absorb maximum nutrient elements required. This paper presents
automated monitoring and controlling pH levels for the hydroponic
cultivation technique. In this study, automated monitoring and controlling of
pH levels are developed specifically for the hydroponic cultivation
technique. There are three main methods that involved in the development of
the system namely hardware, programming and functionality test.
Firstly, users need to set the maximum and minimum pH levels as required
by the plant. Then, the pH sensor will monitor the real-time pH level of the
water. A syringe pump that contains a pH up solution (alkaline) and a pH
down solution (acid) will drip the solutions to neutralize the water content if
the water pH level is not within the stated ranges as set by the user. Results
showed that the automated monitoring and controlling pH levels were
successfully developed and functionality was tested and confirmed as
desired. The syringe pumps responded perfectly upon changes of the water
pH value based on the validation done that showed 100% accuracy of the
syringe pump responds.
Keywords:
Acid and alkaline
Automated system
Hydroponics
pH level
Syringe pump mechanism
Copyright © 2020 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science.
All rights reserved.
Corresponding Author:
Mohammad Farid Saaid,
Faculty of Electrical Engineering,
Universiti Teknologi MARA.
Email: mfarids@uitm.edu.my
1. INTRODUCTION
In the hydroponics cultivation technique, plants are cultivated without soil. There are many types of
hydroponics techniques such as deep-water culture, aeroponic system, drip system, EBB and flow (food and
drink) system, N.F.T (Nutrient Film Technique) and wick system [1-3]. Water replaced soil as a medium to
supply nutrients to the plant through its roots. The nutrient is essential to increase the quality of plant growth
[4, 5]. Temperature, pH water, light, and humidity are also necessary to optimize the plants healthy.
Each type of plant needs a specific pH level of water because the plant's growth and health will be
jeopardized if the pH level of water is not in the required pH ranges [6, 7].
Recall that pH is a measure of the hydrogen ion concentration of a solution. An acidic solution has a
higher relative number of hydrogen ions which its substances dissociated to release hydrogen ions or react
with water to form hydrogen ions while the alkaline solutions have the higher corresponding number of
hydroxyl ions which its elements dissociated release hydroxyl ions or react with water to
hydroxyl ions [8-10].
The standard range of pH level value is between 0 to 14 in which pH 7 reacted as a neutral value
(pure water). The pH value is acidic at a range of 0 to 6.9 and alkaline at a range of pH 7.1 to 14 [11, 12].
The water pH value would become acid or alkaline if it mixed with more acidic or alkaline solutions.
Here, it is indeed vital to understand that different plants required a different pH level. The differences in pH
level range between these plants are too small which is between 0.5 to 1. This means that the pH level is
Indonesian J Elec Eng & Comp Sci ISSN: 2502-4752
Automated monitoring and controlling pH levels for hydroponics cultivation technique (M.F.Saaid)
1237
significant and to be ensured to be in the exact range and hence need to be monitored and controlled
appropriately [13]. For instance, a conventional method has used litmus paper and a pH meter to measure the
pH level. The pH level must continuously be measured manually for monitoring purposes.
This is because pH is essential to make sure the plant receives the maximum absorption of nutrients elements
as required by the plant. The plant will lose its ability to absorb some of the nutrients elements needed if the
pH is not in the proper range [14]. Thus, pH values need to be adjusted so that the plant meets the correct
amount. As an example, a suitable value of pH levels for plants was different; cabbage (pH 6.6-7.0), broccoli
(pH 6.0-6.5), carrot (pH 5.8-6.3), cucumber (pH 5.5-6.0) and etc [15].
Previous researchers have developed a system to monitor and control pH levels for hydroponics.
As discussed in [16] that proposed hydroponic cultivation by implementing the integration of different
varieties of crops. Here, the researchers’ implemented monitoring and controlling pH for the hydroponics
plant by releasing a nutrient to vary the pH value. But this system can be improved by replacing a method
that only used nutrients to vary the pH value with acidity and alkaline solution (pH Up and pH Down
solution) that can be more efficient to change a pH value. Further, B.Siregar et.al. [17] developed a remote
monitoring system for hydroponics. Next as reported in [18], an automated system for hydroponic farming
using various sensor networks was proposed. The researchers claimed that the system was able to assist in
monitoring and controlling water pH level, EC, water temperature and humidity but upon reviewing their
article, only monitoring data was discussed and not about the control part.
Since the pH value can give effect to the photosynthetic activity of the plant, the pH level in water
solution should be controlled to avoid the plant will be damaged [19]. The pH of the plant root environment
is an important factor affecting the uptake of many nutrients [20, 21]. Nutrient solution pH usually controlled
by adding either dilute acid or base to maintain the desired value. It is known as pH up and pH down
solutions [22]. Conventionally, the hydroponics cultivation technique is not equipped with an automatic
system that able to maintain the pH level in water solution, and the user needs to adjust the pH level in water
solution manually. The pH values need to be checked and maintained from time to time as required by the
plant. In the market, pH solution that contains acid or alkaline is used to control pH values. There are two
types of pH solution, which is pH up (alkaline) and pH down (acid). An accurate pH solution must be added
to gain the required pH values of plants.
Hence, in this study, we deem further to develop a system for measuring and monitoring pH levels
for the hydroponic cultivation technique. As mentioned earlier, the user must insert the required minimum
and maximum pH levels. Next, a pH sensor will measure the pH level of water in the tank and monitor the
pH level as well. If the measured pH level is below the minimum value, a syringe pump will drop alkaline
solution to increase the water pH value and vice versa, the other syringe pump will drip an acid solution to
reduce the water pH value. The proposed system will monitor the pH levels automatically as well as control
and neutralize according to the pH level required by the plants.
2. RESEARCH METHOD
In this section, the research method is described that comprised of three sections specifically
hardware development, programming development, and functionality test.
2.1. Hardware Development for Automated Monitoring and Controlling pH Value
As explained earlier, the relationship between input, micro-controller, and output of the system is
illustrated as in Figure 1. There are three components as inputs to the system; the input buttons, pH sensor,
and water level sensor. Input buttons are used for the user to set the range of pH levels as required by the
plants. Users need to key-in the two values of pH levels the lowest and highest and these values will be
stored in the internal memory of the system. For instance, the required pH level for chilli plants is 5.5-6.8
hence the user must set the lowest pH value as 5.5 and the highest pH value as 6.8.
Further, a pH sensor is placed in a water container filled with water that measured the pH value in
every second. These values will be transmitted to the microcontroller. The pH sensor used in this project is an
industrial electrode type with an accuracy of ±0.1pH. The container can store water up to 20 litres and this
amount will be monitored by the water level sensor.
The water level sensor is placed on the upper side of the container for monitoring the maximum
water level. If the water level in the container is lower than the position of the sensor, a water pump will be
activated to enable water to be filled in the container from the supply pipeline.
The output section of this project consists of five components; the syringe pump mechanism for acid
and alkaline solution, stirrer pump, LCD display, water pump for supplying the water from the tank to
hydroponics tray and the water pump for supplying water from the pipeline to the tank. The submersible
water pump is used as a stirrer mechanism to stir the water. This type of pump is used because it can be
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operated gently and suitable for long-lasting underwater. The water pump for supplying the water from the
pipeline to the container will be activated if the water level sensor failed to detect the water level in the
container. This pump will stop supplying water to the container until the water level sensor detected the set
water level. This is to ensure that the container stored enough water prior to watering the plant. For instance,
the water pump for supplying the water from the container to the hydroponics tray will activate for one
minute. Next, this pump will activate again every two hours depending on the required amount of water by
the plant. The user can monitor the information on the current values namely the pH, time and syringe pump
status that is displayed on the LCD.
Further, two syringe pump mechanism is used to store and drip acid (pH down) or alkaline (pH up
solution) to the main container. Stepper motor is connected with a lead screw rod that holds the syringe. The
stepper motor will rotate the lead screw rod that moves in linear and will push the syringe pump. The basic
concept design for the syringe pump is as shown in Figure 2. In general, each acid and alkaline solution are
stored in two different syringes and a stepper motor is used to push the syringe for dripping the solutions into
the water container. The stepper motor is also able to rotate in the opposite direction for the purpose of
pulling the syringe back to the origin position. Since the stepper motor has a suitable torque and small step
angle, the syringe pump movement can easily be controlled accurately. The amount of acid and alkaline
dripped to the plant from syringe depended on the number of stepper motor rotation and the number of
rotations is programmed accordingly.
Figure 1. A diagram of automated monitoring and controlling pH value
Figure 2. Basic concept design for syringe pump
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In this system, the microcontroller functioned is as a ‘brain’. Microcontroller received all
information from the inputs and simulated it in sequence as programmed and then sent it to the output to
execute specific tasks [23, 24]. This project used an Arduino Mega because it has a sufficient number for
digital/analogue input/output pin, memory and compatible with most Arduino shields [25].
After the hardware components are entirely assembled, the command to execute a specific task is
developed using the Arduino programming. The overall process of the system is as shown in Figure 3.
Figure 3. The overall operational process of automated monitoring and controlling pH value
The process started after a user inserted the required pH value by the plants. A user only needs to set
the lowest and highest pH value through the buttons at the input panel. Then, the pH values will be stored in
the Arduino memory. At the same time, a pH sensor that is located in the container filled with water will
measure the pH values for every second and sent it to the microcontroller. Then, the latest measured pH value
will be compared with the required pH value. If the measured pH value is less than the lowest pH value,
the signal will be sent to the alkaline syringe pump to drip 1ml of alkaline to the water in the container.
The water stirrer will stir the water for 30 seconds and then the water pH value will be measured again. If the
measured pH value is more than the required value, the acid solution will be applied. If the measured pH
value was in the needed range, therefore no action from the syringe pump. As stated earlier, a 20 litres
container filled with water along with a water level sensor is used in ensuring the consistency of the water.
2.2. Programming Development for Automated Monitoring and Controlling Ph Value
The development of programming is important to execute the tasks for this system. This stage
started after the completion of hardware development. Once the system activated, three parallel processes
will run; read analogue pH value from pH sensor, read digital water level value and saved input data insert by
the user. The signal will be sent to the water inlet valve to enable the water flow to the container if the water
level sensor triggered a reduction of water. At the same time, the pH values that are inserted by the user is
saved into the system memory. The pH values data is then read by the sensor that converted into array and
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further saved into the memory. This measured value has continued to read and saved when the measured pH
value in the required range. In the programming, the lowest pH value insert by the user is used as a reference
for comparison with the measured pH value. Then, decision will be made to execute the syringe pump
programmed as either acid or alkaline. This project used a 1.8 degrees/step stepper motor that needs 200
steps to complete 360 degrees (one rotation). A lead screw rod that is connected to the stepper motor is also
rotating together with the rotation of the stepper motor. Based on the lead screw sizes, a syringe dripped
a 1ml solution upon two rotations. The rotations of stepper are set in the programming. After both or either
stepper is activated, the program will enable the water stirrer to execute and the timer is used to activate the
stirrer for 30 seconds.
2.3. Functionality Test
This section will detail the evaluation and validation of the developed system.
2.3.1. Syringe Pump Mechanism Development and Overall System Functionality Test
The main component in the syringe pump mechanism is the stepper motor, syringe, and lead screw
rod. However, several holders are developed using the 3D printer to hold the three main components.
The result of the syringe pump mechanism development will be discussed in detail in Section 3. Three fix
holders will be used to hold the stepper motor and syringe. One moving holder will be attached to the syringe
handle to push and pull the syringe. This moving holder can be moved by the rotation of the lead screw rod.
2.3.2. Syringe Pump Responded Based on A Changing of Water pH Value
The objective of this test to analyse the respond of the once the water pH value is not in the required
range. A random acid and alkaline solution are consistently added to the water container. The additional
solution will change the water pH value and both the syringe pump will response to stabilize the pH value to
the desired range. For every response by the syringe pump, the acid or alkaline solution of 1ml each is
dripped. The amount of 1ml for each drip is chosen because this amount is sufficient to change the water pH
value. In this test, the required range of pH value is set between 5.5 to 6.5.
3. EXPERIMENTAL ANALYSIS AND RESULTS
The results of the integration for each component as one complete system are discussed in this
section. Two syringe pumps are developed and tested. The syringe pump is integrated with all input and
output and the functionality of the overall system is evaluated and validated. The results for the syringe pump
response due to the changed pH level are also discussed here.
3.1. Syringe Pump Mechanism Development and Overall System Functionality Test
The developed syringe pump mechanism for this research is as shown in Figure 4. The permanent
holder that holds the syringe can be adjusted that allows the different sizes of the syringe to be used.
The syringe with a diameter of 3cm and volume of 60 ml capacity is used. After the integration between the
syringe pump and programming, the movement of the stepper motor to push the syringe is tested and proven
successfully function to drip the solution. The syringe pump moved forward and backward accordingly once
the stepper motor activated.
Figure 4. Syringe pump mechanism
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The integration of all inputs and outputs components, namely the automated monitoring and
controlling pH value for hydroponic drip is as shown in Figure 5. Figure 5 (a) showed the drip process to
supply water from containers to hydroponic plants. Next, Figure 5 (b) showed the container at the downside
position under the hydroponic tray. The water pump is used to pump water from the container to the
hydroponic tray. The other water pump is used to enable water flow from the water supply to the container.
The water level sensor is placed in the container at the upper side position to limit the water volume to a
maximum of 20 litres. Further, Figure 5 (c) depicted the acid and alkaline syringe pump mechanism at the
vertical position. Here, tube is installed at both syringes and connected to the container to drip either acid or
alkaline solution for neutralizing the pH value. The input button and LCD display are placed on the other side
for the user to insert the required pH ranges for the desired plant. Users can also monitor each activity that
includes the real-time pH value from the LCD display.
(a)
(c)
Figure 5. (a) Drip technique for hydroponic tray, (b) Back view of the system, (c) Front view of the system
3.2. Syringe Pump Response Based on A Changing of Water pH Value
The syringe pump responds due to the pH value of water if the pH ranges are not within the range is
evaluated. Once the syringe pump responds, the data is recorded as ‘1’ (one) and ‘0’ (zero). Further,
the selected sample data from the overall data collection showed the syringe pump feedback as tabulated
in Table 1.
Firstly, the evaluation started with the initial pH level in the container that is more than 6.5.
From the sample data in Table 1, the syringe pump was drip acid solution after the measured pH value was at
9.90. The pH value drops to 9.68 and the syringe pump dripped acid solution again. The syringe pump was
stopped drip after the measured pH value at 6.48 because it was in the required pH ranges of 5.5 to 6.5.
The same method was repeated, but the initial pH level was less than 5.5. From Table 1, the syringe pump
was dripped alkaline solution when water pH value as at 3.71. The syringe pump continued dripped alkaline
solution until water pH value rise to 5.51 and then stopped because the pH value was in the required
pH ranges.
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Table 1. Syringe Pump Response for pH Level Not in the Required Ranges
Water pH
value
Syringe pump for
acid solution
Syringe pump for
alkaline solution
Water pH
value
Syringe pump for
acid solution
Syringe pump for
alkaline solution
9.9
9.68
9.31
8.71
8.47
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
3.71
3.86
3.97
4.15
4.34
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
7.90
7.53
7.39
7.17
6.93
6.87
6.55
6.48
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
4.52
4.73
4.90
5.08
5.23
5.4
5.48
5.51
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
0
4. CONCLUSION
The automated monitoring and controlling pH levels for hydroponic drip techniques are successfully
developed. The proposed method is able to neutralize the pH level once the present pH level is detected not
within the desired range. This is achieved via the proposed system developed. The sensor used is of
industrial-type pH sensor along with the Arduino microcontroller for measuring and monitoring the water pH
levels. Further, the syringe pump mechanism applied for controlling the two stepper motor is capable of drip
both acid and alkaline solution as required. The accuracy of the proposed system is also proven specifically
100% response through the experimental analysis and testing conducted for both the syringe pump.
Future work includes other factors in optimizing the plant growth namely the electrical conductivity (EC),
temperature and lighting environment.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The authors would like to thank the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, UiTM Shah Alam, Selangor
for providing the facilities to conduct this research and Institute of Quality and Knowledge Advancement
(InQKA), Universiti Teknologi MARA (UiTM), Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia for the grant awarded to
present these research findings.
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... Acidic chemicals with lower pH values are more corrosive to the pipeline, and if the problem is not addressed, it can cause leaks in the pipes [5], [6]. The alkalinity, neutrality or acidity of the underground pipeline can be determined by measuring the pH of the soil on site, which can range from zero (0) to fourteen (14) on the scale [7]. Since acid soils exhibit a pH value of less than seven (7), this indicates that the soil is acidic [8]. ...
... The alkalinity, neutrality or acidity of the underground pipeline can be determined by measuring the pH of the soil on site, which can range from zero (0) to fourteen (14) on the scale [7]. Since acid soils exhibit a pH value of less than seven (7), this indicates that the soil is acidic [8]. ...
Article
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Leaks in pipelines caused by acid are destructive to both economic growth and capital which should be avoided at all costs. Damage to underground pipelines is caused by a hard-to-find leak, the unavailability of a real-time monitoring system and the lack of a pipeline history database. The aim of this work is to develop an early warning system to detect acid leaking in the pipeline using Internet of Things (IoT) technology. To detect changes in the pH of acid soil parameters near the pipeline, two mechanisms are required: first, to provide an early warning before the leak is detected and second, to report the occurrence of the leak. The notification system is equipped with three LED indicators, each showing the offline, online and signal detection status. The novelty of the work is a prototype that can detect the acid leak in the pipeline and record the pH values in a database for future research. Using continuous pH monitoring, real-time analysis and a database, this system can detect leaks before they become a major problem. Consequently, the manufacturing industry will benefit from this initiative as it is automated, efficient and cost-effective.
... The integration of the internet of things (IoT) has been suggested for hydroponic plants. These systems utilize various sensors and microcontrollers to monitor [10]- [12] and adjust nutrient levels [13]- [17]. However, it is not enough to control all of them, it must be used in conjunction with other algorithms such as IoT and K-nearest neighbors (KNN) that can controlling nutrient levels with over 90% accuracy [18] as well as combined with Bayesian network model which can monitor of light intensity, pH, EC, water temperature, and relative humidity as an accuracy of 84.53% [19]. ...
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The optimization of nutrient management is crucial for successful soilless plant cultivation, where precise control of fertilizer application significantly impacts plant growth. This research addresses the challenge of developing an effective nutrient control system tailored for soilless cultivation by focusing on regulating electrical conductivity (EC) levels in nutrient solutions. The proposed system utilizes mathematical models and linear regression techniques to manage the nutrient solution mixing ratio. To ensure accuracy, sensors were calibrated, achieving a 99.59% accuracy rate for pH measurement and 95.25% for EC measurement. Experimental validation of the system demonstrated that, with a target EC range of 1.5-2.3 mS/cm, a 10 L solution volume yielded a maximum error rate of 1.75% and an average error of 0.95%. In contrast, a 50 L solution volume showed a slight increase in maximum error rate to 2.89% and an average error of 2.08%. These results highlight the system's capability to precisely adjust EC levels using a defined linear regression model for AB liquid fertilizer ratios. In conclusion, the developed system effectively controls nutrient levels, demonstrating its potential for enhancing nutrient management in hydroponic farming applications.
... However, one of the major things to look over is that, hydroponic system needs careful monitoring and supervision of nutrient and water levels for ensuring positive results from the system. By doing that authors can, understand how different crops respond to various nutrient level parameters [36]. Besides that, to perform automated monitoring, crop recommendation and other actions it needs reliable source of electricity. ...
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Advancements in technology have revolutionized various sectors, including agriculture, which serves as the backbone of many economies, particularly in Asian countries. The integration of new technologies and research has consistently aimed to enhance cultivation rates and reduce reliance on manual labor. Two key technologies, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the Internet of Things (IoT), have emerged as pivotal tools in automating processes, providing recommendations, and monitoring agricultural activities to optimize results. While traditional soil cultivation has been the preferred method, the increasing urbanization trend necessitates alternative approaches such as hydroponics, which replaces soil with water as the medium for crop cultivation. Having many significant advantages, hydroponics serves a crucial role in achieving efficient space utilization. To get a higher density of plants in a confined area hydroponic approach provides water, nutrients and other essential elements directly to the plant's root. To utilize the hydroponic system more effectively, our proposed method, integrating AI and IoT helps to provide suitable crop recommendations, monitor the parameters of the plants and also suggest the necessary changes required for gaining optimal parameters. To ensure optimal resource allocation and maximize yields we have used machine learning models and trained them to recommend suitable crops from the given parameters and also refer to the changes in parameters that are needed for better plant growth. We have used the crop recommendation dataset from the Indian Chamber of Food and Agriculture to train our proposed machine-learning model. Our selected machine learning algorithms to predict the best crops are Random forests, Decision trees, SVM, KNN, and XGBoost. Our research combines AI and IoT with hydroponic systems to streamline crop recommendations, automate monitoring processes, and provide real-time guidance for optimized cultivation. Among them, the Random forest algorithm outperformed other algorithms with an accuracy of 97.5%.
... The input and output data was collected from a previously-developed hydroponics apparatus [18]. As illustrated in Figure 1, the developed apparatus was composed of three major components: an input, a microcontroller, and an output. ...
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Nutrients are essential to optimising plant growth. However, the introduction of fertiliser in a hydroponics setup influences the pH level of the nutrient solution. This, in turn, could affect plants' growth as many types of plants require a specific pH range to grow optimally. Conventional hydroponics cultivation performs pH adjustment manually – a meticulous and error-prone process. Manual adjustment of pH solutions is prone to estimation errors, particularly when the pH levels change drastically due to the slow response of the solution to the addition of alkaline or acidic mixtures and sensitivity to minute errors in mixture delivery. For these reasons, a model to estimate the solution's pH would help improve the delivery accuracy of the alkaline and acidic mixtures. Past research offers minimal study to optimally construct the model from a System Identification (SI) perspective. This study represents a pH water neutralisation behaviour using the Nonlinear Autoregressive model with Exogeneous Inputs (NARX). The project begins with input and output data acquisition, leading to the development of the NARX model. Model performance was then evaluated by analysing the model fit and residual distribution.
... Several kinds of research have been conducted on the topic of automation systems for hydroponics, one of which is the development of smart greenhouses for hydroponic farming by Andrianto et al. [12]. Monitoring and control of pH levels are automatically carried out by Saaid et al. [13]. Then Jirabhorn also created a management and control system for hydroponic farming in tropical climates [14]. ...
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This article discusses the design of a hydroponic planting process monitoring system based on the internet of things. This device uses an ESP32 microcontroller board as the main controller. The parameters that were monitored and acquired were the conditions of the hydroponic growing media. Those parameters are; water pH, water temperature, water turbidity level, and ambient air temperature and humidity. The five parameters are measured by analog sensors integrated with the ESP32. These parameters affect the growth process and the quality of crop yields. This article also describes the calibration method for each sensor used for parameter measurement. Then the monitoring of these parameters is carried out by utilizing a real-time database, namely Google Firebase. This platform is very suitable for all IoT-based monitoring and control applications. Measurement result data is uploaded and saved to the real-time database. Then paired by Android-based applications. This application was created to be used by hydroponic farmers who use this device. Thus the results of monitoring can be used to optimize the process of growing hydroponic plants.
... On the other hand, it has been found that there are numerous studies in acuaqulture which aimed for similar objectives of providing efficient water monitoring system. The pH and water level for hydroponics plant are automatically monitored using pH and water level sensors as the input [20]. Author decided to choose Arduino Mega as the microprocessor due to its sufficient amount of pins for digital and analogue input and output as well as the memory capacity. ...
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Providing sustainable water supply is a huge challenge for Malaysia whereby the residential areas are still equipped with the conventional water meter with lack of monitoring options. In order to detect the locations of internal leakage, the process requires costly plumber service while manual comparison may be inaccurate and time-consuming. Therefore, digitalization transformation aligned with the industrial revolution IR 5.0 is crucial especially with the recent occurrences of high water bills reports during the movement control order (MCO). The objectives of this project is to develop an intelligent water flow monitoring system using Arduino as a microcontroller and to construct a system that can monitor the water usage behaviour at any distant with internet of thing (IoT). It can be installed anywhere in a pipeline whereby the water flow sensor measures the real-time water parameters. The data transferred to the cloud are sent to the homeowner to display the accuracy and availability of their water system via Blynk, a mobile-compatible and user-friendly application that generates clear data visualization. The key goal of this project is to provide a wireless, mobile, economical and systematic solution for residents to self-monitor their water consumption as compared to the conventional manual monitoring.
... There are opportunities for improvement in this sector, which based on advanced technology nowadays [6]. Using microcontrollers and sensors are the best solution to upgrade the current system to be a more advanced system [7,8]. Advanced technology will increase the productivity and efficiency of the system. ...
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The generation of energy through anaerobic digestion using animal manures is being promoted as an environmentally sustainable method of managing animal wastes. However, sustainability of biogas production is reliant on the sustainable utilization of the digestates that emanate from the process. Our study evaluated the effects of the biogas digestates on crop phytotoxicity and their fertilizer potential as a nutrient solution in hydroponic tomato production. Biogas digestates diluted up to 40% (v/v) resulted in significantly (P < 0.05) the lowest relative seed germination (RSG) in all vegetables evaluated in our study. The highest RSG was observed in the 10% biogas digestates, which was higher than the control treatment. For the crop growth study, relative to the control,the treatments with 20%, 40% and 60% mineral fertilizer substitution resulted in 39.4%; 22.8% and 8.7% significantly (P < 0.05) lower chlorophyll content, respectively. On average, the treatments with biogas slurry, though substituted with mineral fertilizers, resulted in a 275% lower fresh fruit yield compared to the control treatment. However, with biogas digestates, the sugar content in the tomato fruits significantly increased, whilst the heavy metal content was below that recommended limit when irrigation water is used. The results of our study demonstrated that cow based digestates are not a suitable nutrient media for hydroponic tomato production. Moreover, even with mineral fertilizer supplementation, only the control treatment containing only mineral hydroponic fertilizer resulted in positive growth and yield in tomatoes.
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The nutrient delivery system is one of the most important hardware components in tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) production in Bio-regenerative Life Support Systems (BLSS) for future long-term space mission. The objective of this study was to investigate the influences of different nutrient delivery systems (aeroponics, hydroponics and porous tube-vermiculite) on the growth, photosynthetic characteristics, antioxidant capacity, biomass yield and quality of tomato during its life cycle. The results showed that the dry weight of aeroponics and porous tube-vermiculite treatment group was 1.95 and 1.93 g/fruit, but the value of hydroponics treatment group was only 1.56 g/fruit. Both tomato photosynthesis and stomatal conductance maximized at the development stage and then decreased later in senescent leaves. At the initial stage and the development stage, POD activities in the aeroponics treatment were higher than other two treatments, reached 3.6 U/mg prot and 4.6 U/mg prot, respectively. The fresh yield 431.3 g/plant of hydroponics treatment group was lower. At the same time, there were no significant differences among nutrient delivery systems in the per fruit fresh mass, which was 14.2-17.5 g/fruit.
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Fish farms are one of the most important sources of profitability for farmers. Therefore, these farms must be cared for and monitored continuously. the paper discuss a smart system monitoring in a new way that we designed to monitor the quality and temperature of the fish pond’s water. This system has been designed and implemented to measure and monitor the pH and the temperature value of the fish pond’s water in real time. The system is divided into a measuring and monitoring part. The measuring part uses Arduino UNO as a microcontroller to measure the pH and temperature from the sensors. The data is then sent to the second part by Bluetooth. The second part (the monitoring part), is a new application for smartphone designed by ‘MIT App Inventor 2’, which monitors the status of the full system. The ‘MIT App Inventor 2’ is a google software (opensource) that enables you to easily build an Android application. The main advantage of this system is its ability to monitor the fish farms from long distances, with low cost and high reliability.
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Chrysanthemum (Chrysanthemum Sp) is sensitive to temperature and humidity. Greenhouse is an appropriate planting medium since temperature and humidity can be engineered there. This article presents the design of systems using DHT-22 and SEN0057 sensors. Real Time Clock (RTC) is used for providing timing input and functions as an extra light intensity timer. Arduino Mega 2560 is used as a microcontroller functioning to receive the results of sensor measurement and to give output instructions to condition the temperature and humidity. The testing on chrysanthemum Sp placed inside the greenhouse equipped with the system for 7 days shows an increase of height of 3.7 cm. As for chrysanthemum Sp placed outside the greenhouse equipped with the system for 7 days, there is an increase of height of 0, 2 cm. These greenhouse light control and Watering systems can engineer the temperature and humidity in accordance with the needs of chrysanthemum Sp cultivation in the greenhouse. © 2018 Institute of Advanced Engineering and Science. All rights reserved.
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Water scarcity, nutrient-depleted soils and pollution continue to be a major challenge worldwide and these are likely to worsen with increasing global populations particularly, in urban areas. As a result, environmental and public health problems may arise from the insufficient provision of sanitation and wastewater disposal facilities. Because of this, a paradigm shifts with regard to the sustainable management of waste disposal in a manner that could protect the environment at the same time benefits society by allowing nutrient recovery and reuse for food production is required. Hence, the use of urban wastewater for agricultural irrigation has more potential, especially when incorporating the reuse of nutrients like nitrogen and phosphorous, which are essential for crop production. Among the current treatment technologies applied in urban wastewater reuse for agriculture, hydroponic system is identified as one of the alternative technology that can be integrated with wastewater treatment. The integration of hydroponic system with municipal wastewater treatment has the advantage of reducing costs in terms of pollutants removal while reducing maintenance and energy costs required for conventional wastewater treatment. The efficiency of a hydroponic system with regard to municipal wastewater reuse is mainly linked to its capacity to allow continuous use of wastewater through the production of agricultural crops and the removal of pollutants/nutrients (nitrogen and phosphorus), resulting to increased food security and environmental protection. Moreover, the suitability of hydroponic system for wastewater treatment is derived from its capacity to minimize associated health risks to farmers, harvested crop and consumers, that may arise through contact with wastewater.
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Medicinal plants cultivation under hydroponic and aeroponic conditions offers an opportunity for quality biomass production on a commercial scale as per consumer demand. This study aims to cultivate first time medicinally important herb Picrorhiza kurroa for the production of quality biomass in the system. Plants were incubated under controlled conditions such as temperature 25 ± 2 °C, photoperiod 16 h light/8 h dark, humidity 65 ± 5%, electrical conductivity 0.5–1.5 mS cm⁻¹, pH 6.8–7.0, chiller temperature 10 °C and photosynthetic photon flux density (PPFD) 150 μmol m⁻² s⁻¹ respectively. The growth biomass, physiological parameters, and alterations in metabolite content were measured in in-vitro raised and nursery plants, after 12–14 weeks of cultivation under the system. The maximum growth biomass, leaf physiological parameters, and picroside I and II contents were observed in nursery treated plants cultivated under aeroponic condition; plant height (6.51 cm), leaf length (4.09 cm), leaf width (1.59 cm), stem diameter (2.72 mm), photosynthetic rate (7.55 μmol m⁻²s⁻¹), stomatal conductance (0.10 mmol m⁻²s⁻¹), transpiration rate (2.55 mmol m⁻²s⁻¹); picroside I and II content in leaf (3.79%) and stem (1.34%). While, in hydroponic; nursery treated plants achieved the highest number of rootlets/plant (13.20), rootlets length (14.96 cm) and rootlets width (0.36 cm) respectively. The results revealed that Picrorhiza kurroa cultivation is suitable under the aeroponic system for the production of quality biomass. Therefore, aeroponic cultivation of P. kurroa can become an alternative approach to produce quality material required for the preparation of drug formulation to the industries.
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The rapidly increasing demand for agricultural food needs coupled with rising energy costs marked challenges for ensuring food bigger than any previous period. Therefore, greenhouses agriculture is a main focus for farmers, engineers and greenhouses designers in view of ways of improvement that provides. Compared to the conventional greenhouses, hydroponics warrant better quality, greater nutrient content, higher yield, efficient water and fertilizer use, but also more energy requirements. A new Hydroponic Greenhouse was designed and installed in the Research and Technology Center of Energy in Tunisia. A Solar Air Heater with Latent thermal storage using Phase Change Material was also realized for the hydroponic greenhouse heating taking into account the thermal heat loads of the specific application. In this work, the microclimate of the Hydroponic Greenhouse without heating was pursued to evaluate the performance of the hydroponic design. Hydroponic greenhouse allowed better environment than conventional greenhouses. During daytime, the new greenhouse temperature exceeded 18 °C and the difference between the inside and the outside reached mostly 6 °C. The relative humidity ranged between 20 and 35% the day and 70–85% at night. Several measurements were also carried out after the heating to pursue the Solar Air Heater contribution. The temperature of the hydroponic greenhouse during nighttime after the heating raised by 6 °C and the nocturnal temperature was mainly over 15 °C. The diurnal temperature of the Heated Hydroponic Greenhouse was generally higher than 32 °C. Compared to conventional solar heating, the two packed beds of latent storage energy improved the indoor greenhouse environment especially during harsh and nocturnal periods.