Low-cost Hydroponic system for growing Italian lettuce: preliminary results

Abstract

To design a hydroponic cultivation setup that is an efficient and sustainable alternative for growing Italian lettuces. It should offer the main advantages of hydroponics, namely low water consumption and soilless cultivation. Additionally, it should be low-cost, installable in a small space for urban agriculture or areas with adverse climatic conditions, and capable of remote monito. This Nutrient Film Technique hydroponic system uses three different sensors to monitor natural light, the temperature of the nutrient solution, and the level of the nutrient solution. It also uses a microcontroller with WiFi communication, and its structure is made of PVC material. The Nutrient Film Technique setup can send alerts via a free app, which controls the switching on and off of the artificial light (Red LED light) and the level of the nutrient solution; these sensors are remotely monitored in real time. It also stores sensor data using the ThinkSpeak platform. This setup uses only low-cost materials, free digital platforms, and consumes low water. The Italian lettuce harvest was obtained in a period of 22 days. The system can be optimized, but at this stage, compactness and minimal sensors were the criteria employed in the design. The free tools serve to visualize sensor data and, simultaneously, control the nutritional solution. Cloud platforms enable access to information at any moment and from any location with internet access.