An IoT-Based Hydroponic Monitoring and Control System for Sustainable Food Production

Abstract

The agricultural sector, historically the main source of food globally, faces unprecedented challenges due to decreasing soil fertility and unsustainable farming practices. This study presents a smart farming method, a tailored approach to cultivating food and arable crops, as a sustainable and innovative farming method. Hydroponics involves growing plants in nutrient water solutions rather than soil, establishing a controlled environment free from external conditions. We developed a sophisticated hydroponics system equipped with sensors monitoring temperature, humidity, pH, and light levels. Using IoT technologies, we enabled real-time data transmission from sensors to a dedicated web server - Amazon web services (AWS) and an Android mobile application powered by a Raspberry Pi3. This setup allows remote monitoring and control of the hydroponic system, reducing human intervention. The experiment validated the sensor network's efficiency in accurately transmitting data. The findings suggest that widespread adoption of hydroponic farming could substantially enhance global food security. Future advancements in this method could include real-time monitoring of plant growth rates by incorporating additional sensors, like carbon dioxide (CO2) sensors. This research is a significant step toward sustainable agriculture. It offers a technologically advanced solution capable of transforming food production methods and ensuring a more secure and sustainable food supply worldwide.