Urban small-scale hydroponics: A compact, smart home-based hydroponics system

Abstract

The increasing population and urbanization have created a massive gap in the demand-supply model of food grains. The world is facing an acute problem with global warming and EI Nino effects, which have affected the equilibrium of the food chain. It is a need of the hour to introduce new reforms in farming to reap increased yields and reduce dependency on natural resources. Hydroponics cultivation is a boon to the agricultural sector, it enhances the cultivation of plants in an organic way by enabling Internet of Things (IoT) technology and combines technology and conventional nutritional mechanisms to enable the co-plant's growth without the strain of nutrient deficiency. This research suggests a system that integrates hardware and software into the traditional hydroponics system that the users can use to have their plantation setup in an urban environment within a small and confined space at home. This system will benefit hobbyist gardeners and small-scale urban farmers seeking an efficient, compact, and smart solution for hydroponic plant cultivation.