Hydroponics Systems

Global environmental, social and economic challenges drive the need for new and improved solutions for food production and consumption. Food production within a sustainability corridor requires innovations exceeding traditional paradigms, acknowledging the complexity arising from sustainability. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to direct further activities, to develop technologies as potential solutions for questions related to climate change, loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, scarcity of resources, and shortage of drinking water. One approach that promises to address these problems is controlled environment agriculture. Aquaponics (AP) combines two technologies: recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) and hydroponics (plant production in water, without soil) in a closed-loop system. One challenge to the development of this technology is the conversion of the toxic ammonium produced by the fish into nitrate, via bacteria in a biofilter, to provide nitrogen to t...

Aeroponic farming is one of the most popular hydroponic farming methods used in the world. Aeroponic systems are mainly three types: HPA (High Pressure Aeroponics), LPA (Low Pressure Aeroponics) and Fogponics. Throughout the literature review, it can be seen that the droplet sizes of various aeroponic nozzles were minimally reported. Even though there have been mentions of effects of droplet sizes in plant growth, much studies have not been conducted specifically for this purpose. This study was sought to determine the sizes of high pressure aeroponic atomizers (nutrient droplet sizes) and determine an average droplet size.

The word hydroponics has its derivation from the combination of two Greek words, hydro meaning water and ponos meaning labour, i.e., working water. Hydroponics used to be considered a system where there was no growing media at all, such as the nutrient film technique in vegetables. But today it's accepted that a soil-less growing medium is often used to support the plant root system physically and provide for a favourable buffer of solution around the root system. The system that is used will be automated to prevent many disadvantages that we have in a manual system.

Global environmental, social and economic challenges drive the need for new and improved solutions for food production and consumption. Food production within a sustainability corridor requires innovations exceeding traditional paradigms, acknowledging the complexity arising from sustainability. However, there is a lack of knowledge about how to direct further activities, to develop technologies as potential solutions for questions related to climate change, loss of soil fertility and biodiversity, scarcity of resources, and shortage of drinking water. One approach that promises to address these problems is controlled environment agriculture. Aquaponics (AP) combines two technologies: recirculation aquaculture systems (RAS) and hydroponics (plant production in water, without soil) in a closed-loop system. One challenge to the development of this technology is the conversion of the toxic ammonium produced by the fish into nitrate, via bacteria in a biofilter, to provide nitrogen to the plants. However, as this Special Issue shows, there are many other challenges that need to be addressed if the goal of the technology is to contribute to more sustainable food production systems.

This paper describes a novel approach to aeroponic and hydroponic system monitoring, fault detection and automation. The first part of this paper is dedicated to brief literature preview about hydroponics and aeroponics, its common and distinctive features and the description of the needs for its automation.
The second part of this paper deals with aeroponic greenhouse control scheme proposal. We consider a greenhouse covered by a sensor network, actuators and hydroponic or aeroponic platforms to be a robotic system in so called intelligent space. The aeroponic platform design is described besides the conclusions and future work ideas in the last part of this paper.

This article describes a novel approach to aeroponic
and hydroponic system monitoring, fault detection and automation.
The first part of this paper gives a short introduction and motivation
to the topic of the research solved during the previous period.
Second part is dedicated to the results achieved during the last
period followed by the main ideas and suggestions for future work.

Hydroponic growing systems currently employed in agricultural settings are plagued with a problem that traditional (soil) systems are not; which is the inability to effectively utilize ammonia. The reason hydroponic systems are unable to utilize ammonia is because of toxicity. These systems lack the ability to convert ammonia, which quickly builds up, into nitrates. By not being able to convert these readily available fertilizers hydroponic growers are limited in the available nitrogen sources for production. If this problem can be addressed cheaper fertilizers would be more readily available for this adaptable growing system. (Howarth et al.)

"Imparting Skill in Indian Greenhouse Horticulture"
Intensive 5- Day Workshop in Controlled Environment Horticulture - with emphasis on Hydroponics is being conducted at Dharwad, Karnataka, India. Workshop 16th July to 20th July 2018. The workshop will be conducted by Mr Tony Bundock from Australia, who has decades of experience in Controlled Environment Horticulture among other subjects. He is also a Director on the panel of the famous institution Protected Cropping Australia and reigning Secretary of the Hydroponics Farmers Federation of .. continue reading
Highlights
Training conducted by Tony Bundock, Genesis Horticulture, Melbourne, Australia
Training Venue is an Indo-Israeli Centre of Excellence
Soilless Cultivation with Climate Control Techniques

Vacant buildings today are functionless structures of steel, glass, and concrete. After Egypt’s recent strategy of establishing a new administrative capital which is under construction since 2015 and designed to be the country’s first administrative hub and home for more than 6.5 million residents, many administrative and governmental buildings in Cairo city center will be relocated to the new capital by the end of 2021. The research aims to investigate building-integrated indoor vertical farming as one of the most efficient solutions for those buildings which have environmental, social, and economic benefits by increasing urban green surfaces, improving the quality of air and the visual appearance, securing food supply by providing a massive amount of healthy and nutritious crops with a small footprint.
Therefore, this master thesis follows an exploratory approach that answers the main research question of how to integrate urban agriculture into the vacant buildings on a large enough scale to benefit the local community?, Investigating the recent innovations in urban farming and how they could be adapted into the vacant building, also presenting best practices in building-integrated agriculture and high-tech farming systems which provides a paradigm shift in urban food production.
The research methodology illustrates the high potential of integrating vertical farming systems into vacant buildings by following two methods. Firstly, by observation and being a direct participant in this area to understand the nature of the buildings and the social activities around it, secondly by reviewing the literature and analyzing similar case studies which have been conducted to define the main features of building-integrated indoor farming such as the structure of the building, spaces used, farming systems, water and energy requirements, etc.
The building of the ministry of justice which is located in the heart of Cairo city was selected as a host for the pilot project proposal. The initial design of the vertical farm is followed by a guideline from case study analysis and the theoretical study. The estimated annual yield of the project was calculated to visualize the impact of transforming the area of 2540 m2 to an indoor vertical farm, coming up with the expected annual yield and how it could be very profitable as a business model for people who are interested in sustainable and resource-efficient projects.
The developed implementation process can be used as an assessment framework by potential investors, developers, entrepreneurial urban farmers, and others for implementing a productive urban farm using existing vacant building stock. Architects can also use the developed strategy to work on the planning and design phase and ensure a well-integrated and feasible project.

"This paper describes a novel approach to aeroponic and hydroponic system monitoring, fault detection and automation. The first part of this paper is dedicated to brief literature preview about hydroponics and aeroponics, its common and distinctive features and the description of the needs for its automation. The second part of this paper deals with aeroponic greenhouse control scheme proposal. We consider a greenhouse covered by a sensor network, actuators and hydroponic or aeroponic platforms to be a robotic system in so called intelligent space. The aeroponic platform design is described besides the conclusions and future work ideas in the last part of this paper."

The increase in population and rapid industrial development of a country, especially in urban areas, contributes to various urbanization issues such as housing, food demands, education, health, poverty, etc. An alternative method of farming utilizing minimized land areas with large crop produce is highly sought. This farming method is expected to be operated at a lower cost with easy monitoring of essential plantation necessities such as light, water level, temperature, and humidity. This paper discusses the design and development of an automatic monitoring of an indoor vertical hydroponic system. Three main components will be designed and developed to realize the system. Firstly, an indoor hydroponic module with IoT technology. Secondly, a dashboard for monitoring and managing the operation of the system. Finally, a two-factor authentication mechanism to enhance the security elements of the system. Preliminary results obtained showed promising progress and opportunity for the desig...

Anthroponics is a recirculating soilless agriculture system that uses natural bacterial cycles to convert human biowaste such as urine into plant fertilizer.

A small experiment was conducted in Malmö, Sweden. The method involved building three anthroponic systems, collecting, and ageing urine samples from one healthy individual. The objective was to cultivate Cucumis sativus (cucumber) in the anthroponic systems under different dosages of wood ash to observe how it affected plant growth and the chemical composition of the water.

In the beginning of the experiment, System 1 received no amount of wood ash, System 2 received 37g of wood ash, and System 3 received 72g of wood ash. Afterwards, all systems were dosed with 165mL of aged urine every week. It was observed that wood ash supplied Systems 2 and 3 with a higher starting concentration of Potassium (150-200mg/L vs 20mg/L in System 1) and Magnesium (50mg/L vs 15mg/L in System 1), also affecting each system’s electrical conductivity level. System 1 had considerably higher Ammonia levels, indicating insufficient nitrification, possibly due to lower pH values throughout the experiment. All systems had an increase in concentration over time of Nitrate, and an increase in concentration of Phosphorus, with the exception of System 1. All systems showed very low concentrations of Iron (<0,06mg/L) considering the optimal concentration for cucumber (~3mg/L). Results from the laboratory analysis also confirmed an Iron deficiency (0,00mg/L) in the water and leaf tissue, as well as a correlation between wood ash and higher amounts of Potassium, Magnesium and Sulphur in the water and leaf tissue. Some Arsenic was found in the water above the reference level (>0,01mg/L), though no definite conclusion could be drawn from its source.

In conclusion, while the experiment was too short to observe fruit growth, System 2 produced the longest vegetative growth, as well as a bigger weight of leaves. While Iron was found lacking both in the water and as Iron deficiency signs in plant leaves, it seems the addition of wood ash has supplied sufficient Potassium and Magnesium in the cucumber plants of System 2 and 3. It is possible that a dosage amount of metal-free un-treated and safe wood ash between the amounts used for System 2 (37g) and System 3 (72g), as well as additional Iron supplementation and pH control, can provide sufficient nutrients for a healthy production of a cucumber plant in an anthroponics system.

Aquaponics is really a sustainable food creation method that will everybody could test. It may equally provide as being a pastime, and also down the line be described as a business that could definitely produce funds. Ahead of dwelling upon additionally particulars, what's in truth the definition regarding Aquaponics? Aquaponics is really a sustainable food creation method that will everybody could test. It may equally provide as being a pastime, and also down the line be described as a business that could definitely produce funds. Ahead of dwelling upon additionally particulars, what's in truth the definition regarding Aquaponics?

Resumo: O objetivo deste trabalho foi avaliar o efeito do cultivo de plantas de copo-de-leite (Zantedeschia aethiopica) em sistema hidropônico, no crescimento vegetativo, no teor de nutrientes na parte aérea e nas trocas gasosas. Utilizou-se o delineamento experimental inteiramente casualizado, em arranjo fatorial triplo (2x2x2), com oito tratamentos, três repetições e oito plantas por parcela. Os tratamentos consistiram de duas dimensões de espuma fenólica (2,5x2,5x2,5 e 5,0x5,0x3,8 cm, expressas em altura x comprimento x largura), duas soluções nutritivas e dois perfis hidropônicos (100 e 150 mm). As plantas de copo-de-leite foram cultivadas em sistema hidropônico fluxo laminar de nutriente (NFT) e apresentaram teores de nutrientes na parte aérea, na seguinte sequência decrescente: K&gt;N&gt;Ca&gt;P&gt;S&gt;Mg para macronutrientes e Fe&gt;Mn&gt;Zn&gt;B&gt;Cu para micronutrientes. Plantas de copo-de-leite cultivadas em sistema hidropônico NFT, em espuma fenólica de 5,0x5,0x3,8 cm e...

Anthropogenic activities such as mining, manufacturing, and application of fertilizers release substantial quantities of cadmium (Cd) into the environment. In the natural environment, varying pH may play an important role in the absorption and accumulation of Cd in plants, which can cause toxicity and increase the risk to humans. We conducted a hydroponic experiment to examine the impact of pH on cadmium (Cd) solubility and bioavailability in winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) under controlled environmental conditions. The results showed that Cd concentration was significantly reduced in wheat with an increase in pH from 5 to 7, while it was dramatically increased at pH ranging from 7 to 9. However, in both cases, a significant reduction in physiological traits was observed. The addition of Cd (20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1) at all pH levels caused a substantial decline in wheat growth, chlorophyll and carotenoids contents, nutrient availability, while elevated cell membrane damage was observed in terms of electrolytic leakage (EL), osmoprotectants, and antioxidants activity. In our findings, the negative effects of acidic pH (5) on wheat growth and development were more pronounced in the presence of Cd toxicities. For instance, Cd concentration with 20, 50, and 200 μmol L-1 at acidic pH (5) reduced shoot dry biomass by 45%, 53%, and 79%, total chlorophyll contents by 26%, 41%, 56% while increased CAT activity in shoot by 109%, 175%, and 221%, SOD activity in shoot by 122%, 135%, and 167%, POD activity in shoot by 137%, 250%, and 265%, MDA contents in shoot by 51%, 83%, and 150%, H 2 O 2 contents in shoot by 175%, 219%, and 292%, EL in shoot by 108%, 165%, and 230%, proline contents in shoot by 235%, 280%, and 393%, respectively as compared to neutral pH without Cd toxicities. On the other hand, neutral pH with Cd toxicities alleviated the negative

For continuous human habitation of space to occur political will and public opinion has to support this endeavour. Educating the public about space and the methods needed to support humans in microgravity will help improve understanding of the space industry and political support of space research exploration. The only practical method to allow permanent human habitation of space is the use of biological life support (BLS), which uses plants to purify water and produce oxygen and food. To teach people about BLS, a plant growth chamber was developed and displayed in the Edmonton Space and Science Centre (ESSC) in Alberta, Canada. This plant growth chamber uses ceramic porous tubes to grow radishes to maturity on a continuous growth cycle. The chamber was constructed, using off the shelf components to limit costs and simplify the chamber design. Descriptions were provided with the display, on the history of plant growth in microgravity, the operation of the porous tube system, and direction of future ideas and developments works. The environmental conditions (water and air temperature, relative humidity, etc) inside the chamber are displayed for observation. This display helps improve the public’s understanding of biological life support in microgravity and provides a practical science display for the ESSC.

The increase in population and rapid industrial development of a country, especially in urban areas, contributes to various urbanization issues such as housing, food demands, education, health, poverty, etc. An alternative method of farming utilizing minimized land areas with large crop produce is highly sought. This farming method is expected to be operated at a lower cost with easy monitoring of essential plantation necessities such as light, water level, temperature, and humidity. This paper discusses the design and development of an automatic monitoring of an indoor vertical hydroponic system. Three main components will be designed and developed to realize the system. Firstly, an indoor hydroponic module with IoT technology. Secondly, a dashboard for monitoring and managing the operation of the system. Finally, a two-factor authentication mechanism to enhance the security elements of the system. Preliminary results obtained showed promising progress and opportunity for the desig...