DFT hydroponic system for lettuce and pepper production with limited electricity.

Abstract

Abstract The majority of land globally is facing soil degradation. Specifically, many Haitians face severe food insecurity driven in part by a lack of adequate land for agriculture. Hydroponic agriculture is a potential solution to increase food production and therefore alleviate food insecurity. Hydroponic systems can produce food without the requirement of arable land but are often prohibitively expensive and require electrical and water inputs that are impractical in most of Haiti. There is a need for a simplified form of circulating hydroponics which can produce fruiting crops in high density. This research focused on the development of deep flow technique (DFT) hydroponic systems capable of producing both leafy greens and fruiting crops without electrical power and with water inputs that can be carried by hand. Yields of lettuce ( Lactuca sativa L. cv. Black Seeded Simpson) were not reduced when circulation was decreased by 94%, resulting in significantly higher yields per energy input. In a manually operated system, pepper yields were similar to field production. This study demonstrates that a simplified DFT approach can provide access to food production without the requirement of arable land, large volumes of water, electrical power or advanced training. Simplified DFT systems have the potential to enable local food production in regions hardest hit by environmental degradation.