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Hydroponics; a sustainable agricultural technique

In a highly polluted and resource scarce economy, it is difficult to practice traditional farming with the
rising demand for food supply. Hydroponics is an advanced sustainable alternative to such problems. It is a
method of growing plants that takes advantage of this fact by providing all of the nutrients, in their
inorganic form, in a liquid solution with or without solid media.

In October of 2021, a team of 10 biotech students led by their project guide Miss Anjelica Matias took an
initiative to construct a semiautomated hydroponics system and test the parameters involved in growing
leafy vegetables.

It involved utilization of components available to the general public so that the system can be replicated by
enthusiasts without scientific knowledge. The main objective was to automate the system for
replenishment of nutrients and drainage of spent solution to avoid manual practice. The programing code
used for automation was XOD which is based on functional reactive programming principles and provides
a graphical flow-based application programming interface. XOD can compile native machine code for the

low-ended controllers.

An arduino mjcroprocessor was used to control the external parameters including TDS, pH, water flow and
display parameters such as photoperiod, temperature and humidity. The nutrient solution was made using
master blend NPK solution, epsom salt and calcium nitrite to provide the essential nutrient components
needed by the plants in the hydroponics system. Leafy vegetables chosen were Lettuce, Kale, Mustard,
buttercrunch lettuce and spinach; the selection of these plants was based on the growth requirement, pH
range and growth period.

A comparative study was done during the course of the project considering the growth rate of multiple
crops and identifying the variety most suited for the hydroponics system constructed in a nutrient film
technique.
Buttercrunch lettuce, lettuce lollo rosso, Kale and mustard was most suited for this system as it showed the
highest growth with an average of 1.2 cm/day
When compared to traditional soil-grown crop production, Hydroponics has up to 90% more efficient use

of water. Production increases 3 to 10 times in the same amount of space. Many crops can be produced
twice as fast in a well managed hydroponics system.

Hydroponics is a very eco-friendly method of cultivating vegetables which can be practiced at home
without need for much scientific knowledge. Moreover, the nutritional value of hydroponically grown
vegetables is about the same as that of conventionally grown produce and is a healthier choice for the
economy and environment.

~Mr. Sean D'Silva

(T.Y.BSc 2021-22)

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