Development of IOT hydroponic system with supplementary led light for smart urban farming

Abstract

Conventional farming is inescapably challenged in terms of food production and security, energy consumption, and sustainable environment-friendly farming practices. Impulsive microclimate shifts due to climate change, exponential population growth and absence of arable land in urban setting exacerbate the stresses on these challenges. Alternative farming methods and technologies like hydroponics and intelligent artificial lighting system hold potential solutions to the aforementioned challenges. Leveraging internet of things (IoT) application and wireless sensor networks (NSWs) to enable hydroponic system for real time crop monitoring makes farming smart. In this work, mini plant factory was developed to simulate urban setting and lettuce response to different treatments of LED light and natural light was investigated. Physiological parameters and pigment content were characterized. Results indicated that supplementary LED lights positively affect lettuce growth. Hydroponic system was enabled with IoT devices and applications for real time data transmittance and monitoring. The monitoring application was effective and field information were possible to archive real time for easy access to end users. In the future, current work hopes to provide new platforms for urban farming and contribute in industrialization of food productions at large