Hydroponic Nutrient Research Articles

Enhanced Melon Cultivation: An Application of Hydroponic Nutrient Formulation for Superior Yield and Quality

This study, conducted from June to September 2022 in greenhouse CV. Agroniaga, aimed to enhance melon (Cucumis melo L.) productivity and quality using superior seed varieties and a hydroponic system. Utilizing a Completely Randomized Design (CRD), the experiment examined two melon varieties, Dalmatian (G1) and Sweet D25 (G2), under four nutrient formulations: F1 (vegetative and generative N3), F2 (vegetative, generative 1a and 2a), F3 (vegetative, generative 1b and 2b), and F4 (leaf goodplant, fruit goodplant). Statistical analysis was performed at a significance level of 5%. The results indicated that the F3 nutrient formulation, with specific nitrate, ammonium, phosphorus, and potassium concentrations at different growth stages, achieved high-quality melons with enhanced productivity. These findings hold significant implications for horticultural practices, promoting a sustainable, efficient strategy for superior melon cultivation and potentially contributing to the economic development in the sector.

Inteligência Artificial para pequenas fazendas hidropônicas empregando sistemas de lógica fuzzy e análise econômica

ABSTRACT The application of artificial intelligence (AI) in modern agriculture has attracted increasing attention since its automation has the potential to accelerate food production with efficiency in resource use. Fuzzy logic, as one AI method, can be applied in hydroponics as an automation function of a nutrient mixing machine. There have been some inventions of nutrient mixing machines in commercial-scale agribusiness but not yet at the level of the small and medium farms that are mostly found in developing countries. This study constructed a hydroponics nutrient mixing machine employing a fuzzy logic method, calculated the machine’s efficiency, and evaluated its economic application. The automated nutrient mixing machine using fuzzy logic was efficient, and both theoretical field capacity and actual field capacity indicators were higher with the use of the nutrient mixing machine compared to manual nutrient mixing. This machine saves 78% of the labor normally used for mixing nutrients, with a saving of up to 42.86% in the nutrients used compared with mixing manually.

Persistence of Salmonella enterica subsp. enterica ser. Javiana, Listeria monocytogenes, and Listeria innocua in Hydroponic Nutrient Solution

This study aimed to determine the persistence of Salmonella Javiana, Listeria monocytogenes, and Listeria innocua in nonsterile, hydroponic nutrient solution (NS) at 15, 25, 30, and 37°C over a 21-day period to mimic time from seedling to mature lettuce. Bacteria were inoculated in modified Hoagland's NS at 106 CFU/mL and maintained at 15, 25, 30, and 37°C. Samples were collected at various time points, and bacteria were quantified. A mixed model was used to determine the effect of bacteria type, time (day), and temperature on bacteria concentration (log CFU/mL). The least-squares means were calculated to compare the mean log CFU/mL, and the mean values were compared with Tukey-Kramer honest significant difference test with a significance level of P = 0.05. Statistical analysis indicated that a 3-way interaction effect between temperature, time, and bacteria type had a significant impact on bacterial persistence in NS (P < 0.0001). At all temperatures, S. Javiana persisted in NS throughout the 21-day study period, compared to L. innocua and L. monocytogenes where persistence was limited to between 1 and 14 days. Similarly, decimal reduction values (D-values) of S. Javiana indicated longer persistence in NS than L. innocua and L. monocytogenes at most temperatures. For instance, at 15°C and 25°C, D-values for S. Javiana were estimated at 82 and 26 d, respectively, compared to D-values of 3.6 and ∼3 d for L. monocytogenes. Data indicate that the temperature of NS has a differential effect on the persistence of S. Javiana and Listeria spp. This study furthers the understanding of potential food safety risks associated with hydroponic systems and will contribute to the refinement of further studies to aid in the development of operation-specific risk profiles.

Effect on Vegetative Growth and Development of Strawberry (Fragaria ananassa) in Potting Mixture System under Shade Net Conditions cv. Winter Dawn

In Prayagraj agro climatic conditions strawberry is produced with high-technology, but there is little research on the productivity of strawberry in Potting media mixture under shade net conditions. The present study was conducted to compare single potting media for the strawberry. The conventional method was used for the comparison study. In this method, uniform runners of the strawberry cultivar Winter Dawn were grown in pots with growing medium consisting of goat manure, vermiculite, and peat moss in various ratios on a volume-to-volume basis. Additionally, Ponic green's 3-part Nute hydroponic nutrient set was applied to the plants via foliar spray at fortnightly intervals. In order to meet the nutritional requirements of each individual plant and ensure that the uppermost layer of the pots remained adequately moist, the irrigation process was carefully monitored. Based on both years2021- 22research trail findings of this study. It was determined to have the greatest growth traits for every growth, flowering and fruit weight criteria.

Investigating the potential of growing crops hydroponically utilizing feed and draw solutions from fertilizer drawn forward osmosis

This study investigated the potential of utilizing both the draw and feed solutions resulting from fertilizer drawn forward osmosis for hydroponic crop cultivation. Synthetic brackish groundwater of 2500 ppm was used as the feed solution, whereas commercial hydroponic nutrients, sourced from a local supplier, were utilized as a draw solution. This study also investigated the potential of integrating nanofiltration with forward osmosis, but supplementing the water necessary for further dilution of draw solutions through nanofiltration. Two crops were selected, i.e., cherry tomatoes and spinach grown at different water salinities, for their economic values. The cherry tomatoes were grown in Deep Water Culture hydroponic systems, while the spinach was grown in Nutrient Film Technique systems. If this application is deemed feasible, it allows for providing a method to grow two different crops in areas associated with non-arable land and brackish groundwater. During desalination, it was observed that there were two groups of flux readings, the first with an average flux of 7 to 9 l/m2/h, and the other with an average flux of 4 to 6 l/m2/h. This was due to using the same draw solution twice; once to concentrate the feed solution to 5000 ppm, and then once more to concentrate the feed solution to 3500 ppm. It was found that while the 3500 ppm cherry tomatoes tables had the highest yield and highest number of tomatoes throughout the plants lifetime, tomatoes from freshwater tables on average weighed more by about 19%, while, on average, 5000 ppm tomatoes weighed less than 3500 ppm tomatoes by 10%. The results of the spinach demonstrated that while both control and experiment groups yielded similar number of leaves, the average yield per plant for the experiment group was higher than the control group (by 25%).

Hydroponic Production of Selenium-Enriched Baby Leaves of Swiss Chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla) and Its Wild Ancestor Sea Beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima)

The human intake of selenium (Se), which is an essential element in animals and humans, can be increased through the consumption of vegetables that have been biofortified during cultivation. There is increasing interest in wild edible plants (WEPs) due to their positive effects on health. In fact, many WEPs are rich in microelements, vitamins, dietary fibers, and several antioxidant compounds. Among WEPs, sea beet (Beta vulgaris ssp. maritima) is the wild ancestor of Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris var. cicla). The present study investigated the potential of fortifying Swiss chard and sea beet with Se. The two subspecies were cultivated in a floating system with a nutrient solution enriched with four concentrations of Se (0, 1, 3, and 5 mg L−1), and the production and quality of the baby leaves were evaluated. The addition of Se to the nutrient solution resulted in a higher leaf concentration of this microelement in both subspecies, with a positive effect on the yield (+20%) and leaf chlorophyll concentration (+25%) at the Se concentration of 1 mg L−1. The leaf concentration of nitrates was reduced by the Se treatment in sea beet regardless of the Se concentration (−24%, on average). Selenium biofortification was more effective in sea beet plants than in Swiss chard due to the higher ability of the wild species to acquire readily available minerals from the hydroponic nutrient solution. In conclusion, both subspecies accumulated a significant amount of Se without negative effects on yield or leaf quality, thus proving them to be suitable for the production of Se-enriched baby leaves.

Precise Management of Hydroponic Nutrient Solution pH: The Effects of Minor pH Changes and MES Buffer Molarity on Lettuce Physiological Properties

The precise management of the nutrient solution pH is substantial for optimizing the growth and yield of hydroponically cultivated crops. Nutrient solution pH affects the solubility and availability of essential nutrients; however, during hydroponic cultivation, the pH of nutrient solution fluctuates due to unbalanced ion absorption by plants. Nutrient solution pH fluctuations might be passively controlled using a supplementary buffering agent. Nutrient solution characteristics such as pH and buffering agent molarity must be addressed simultaneously. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to evaluate hydroponically cultivated lettuce’s physiological response to minor nutrient solution pH differences and the impact of supplementary buffering agent molarity on its growth, antioxidant activity, and mineral nutrient uptake. Green lettuce (Lactuca sativa (L.)) ‘Hugin’ was cultivated in deep water culture (DWC) hydroponics in a controlled environment replicating common vertical farming conditions, and nutrient solution pH impact within the range of 5.0–6.5 was evaluated every 0.5 pH unit. Initial nutrient solution buffer capacity was enhanced by adding MES (2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid) at 0, 1, 3, and 5 mM concentrations. Results show that even small nutrient pH differences are reflected in plant physiological responses, indicating the significance of precise pH management. Even though dry weight accumulation is not affected by the pH 5.0–5.5 treatment, it increases root antioxidant response according to ABTS (2,2-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) radical scavenging activity. An initial nutrient solution buffer capacity increment with 3 mM of MES (2-(N-morpholino) ethanesulfonic acid) supplementary buffering agent resulted in a 17% yield increase compared to a nutrient solution without an additional buffering agent. MES buffer can provide adequate, passive, and precise nutrient solution pH control within the pH range of 6.0–6.5.

Quality Otomation System and monitoring of Bok Choy (Brassica chinensis L.) in Hydroponic Greenhouses based on Fuzzy Logic using Arduino Uno

Hydroponic greenhouses is a form of maintenance optimal plants with minimal water use. However, growing plants in this environment requires careful monitoring and control of various parameters such as pH and nutrient availability. In this study we used NFT Hydroponics (Nutrient Film Technique) a soilless plant cultivation technique that uses nutrient solutions flowing in shallow channels under plant roots. This method allows efficient and optimal plant growth with less use of water and nutrients compared to conventional cultivation. &#x0D; The pakcoy quality monitoring system in this hydroponic greenhouse is made using an Arduino Uno microcontroller equipped with a dfrobot pH sensor and a dfrobot tds sensor to monitor the quality of the bok choy plants automatically. We get the data by the tool will be processed using fuzzy logic to control the pH quality of the water and the nutrients of the bok choy plants to maximize the efficiency and production of the bok choy plants. The results showed that using this technology can monitor and control the water quality and environment for bok choy growth efficiently and accurately.

Effects of Sulfate on the Physiology, Biochemistry, and Activity of Group 1 Sulfate Transporters in Seedlings of Brassica pekinensis

It is well known that some plants have the capability of taking up sulfur as a nutrient from the atmosphere through foliar absorption and can survive well in polluted environments. In order to observe the effects of the relationship between atmospheric hydrogen sulfide (H2S) deposition and soil sulfur nutrition, the current study used Brassica pekinensis as a model plant. The objective in conducting this study was to understand the regulatory mechanisms engaged in the uptake and assimilation of sulfate (SO42−) in plants by studying the modulation of transcription levels of sulfate transporter genes (STGs) (Sultr1;1 and Sultr1;2), changes in growth physiology, and the potential of roots to uptake the SO42− when allowed to grow in the presence or absence of SO42− in a hydroponic nutrient solution. Changes in growth, physico-chemical parameters, and gene expression levels of Group 1 STGs were observed when sulfur-treated and non-treated plants were exposed to phytotoxic H2S levels in the air. Sulfur deficiency enhanced nitrate and free amino acid (FAA) concentrations in the shoot and root regions of the plant. However, there was a significant decrease in the biomass, shoot/root ratio (SRR), chlorophyll content, and thiol content, with p-values &lt; 0.01. This, in turn, increased the sulfur-uptake capacity of plants from the atmosphere through foliar absorption. When the sulfur-uptake capacity of plants increased, there was an increase in the expression level of Group 1 sulfate transporter genes (Sultr1;1 and Sultr1;2), which regulate sulfur transportation through roots. The growth, physico-chemical characteristics, and level of gene expression of Group 1 STGs were unaffected by the availability of excess sulfur in the atmosphere of up to 0.3 μL l−1.

Improving Production Yield and Nutritional Quality of Coastal Glehnia Using Developed Hydroponic Nutrient Solution in Controlled Environment Agriculture

This study was conducted to develop a nutrient solution for coastal glehnia, evaluate the performance of the newly developed nutrient solution, and determine an adequate electrical conductivity (EC) level for growth and bioactive compounds production in controlled environment agriculture (CEA). Coastal glehnia plants cultivated in Hoagland nutrient solution with EC 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 dS·m−1 for 20 weeks had the same ratio of cations and anions in terms of macro essential elements. Based on the ratio, a new nutrient solution for coastal glehnia was developed. Subsequently, seedlings with two main leaves were grown in Hoagland nutrient solution (H1 and H2; EC 1 and 2 dS·m−1) or a newly developed nutrient solution (N1–5; EC 1–5 dS·m−1) for 23 weeks (about 6 months), and the leaves were harvested every 5 weeks. The N1 treatment resulted in significantly higher accumulated and average shoot fresh and dry weights than in the H1 and H2 treatments. In addition, the total phenolic content and antioxidant capacity per shoot were the highest under the N1 treatment. Individual bioactive compounds, such as xanthotoxin, bergapten, and imperatorin, levels per shoot with the N1 treatment were significantly higher than those with the H1 and H2 treatments. These results demonstrate that the newly developed nutrient solution of EC 1 dS·m−1 increases the biomass and bioactive compound levels of coastal glehnia and is suitable for cultivating coastal glehnia in CEA, such as vertical farms and greenhouses.

Performance evaluation of pechay (Brassica rapa var. chinensis) using different organic growing media under hydroponic system

There is a growing interest among vegetable growers in using locally available growing media in hydroponic production. This study assessed the growth and yield of pechay, nutrient solution consumption of the plant, and its quality using different growing media (foam, coco peat, raw rice hull, raw saw dust, vermicompost, composted rice straw, composted rice hull) in a Kratky hydroponic system at the Institute of Agriculture, Camiguin Polytechnic State College-Catarman Campus, Tangaro, Catarman, Camiguin from June 10, 2021, until July 15, 2021. The study was laid in a Randomized Complete Block Design with seven treatments and three replications. Tukey’s Honest Significant Difference (HSD) was used to compare the significant differences between treatment means. Results showed that the type of growing media did not significantly affect the pechay growth performance, insect pests and disease incidence, nutrient solution consumption, and final quality of the hydroponic nutrient solution. However, a highly significant difference was observed in horticultural root development characteristics except for the percentage of root per plant and survival rate. In terms of yield parameters, highly significant differences were observed except for the number of marketable and non-marketable yields, the weight of non-marketable yields, and the harvest index. Our results showed that the use of foam could be used effectively to increase production under a hydroponic system. The use of organic growing media (raw rice hull, vermicompost, raw saw dust, coco peat) was also promising for their growth and yield performance. It can be concluded that the growing media affects the growth and yield of pechay in a hydroponic production system; however, the potential use of these various growing media should be further tested for verification.

URBAN FARMING: SOLAR NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE SYSTEM

Farming in urban areas is recognized as a sustainable approach towards the provision of food, and it has increased in Malaysia over recent years. Urban farming has emerged as one approach to contribute to local food security by increasing the availability and accessibility of fresh and healthy produce. Solar Nutrient Film Technique System is a product that can overcome challenges for agriculture sector at urban area. This product objective are to reduce the cost of living, to improvement of food self-sufficiency, to minimize water usage, to create environmentally friendly product and to provide space for agriculture activities for urban area. The novelty and uniqueness of NFT are it can be grown outdoors, indoors even in small space. Furthermore, the NFT is the cultivation of plants without using soil. Vegetables are planted in inert growing media and supplied with nutrient-rich solutions, oxygen, and water by using the electric pump. The application of solar pump also can reduce the cost of electricity and save the environment. Due to challenges of life in an urban environment where the time and space for gardening are limited, the innovation idea of hydroponics system will help the people to plant their fresh produce even though in the city. It creates commercialization potential to individual or company to start on agriculture production. Hydroponic agriculture using the Solar NFT System could be an option for meeting the world's growing food demand. One of the aspects to consider is the nutritional needs of the hydroponic plant. The NFT hydroponic nutrient controlling system is designed to help farmers manage the proper amount of nourishment for their plants. To manage the amount of nutrients, this system use the linear regression method. The precision gained from the controlling system experiment is 87.84%.

Design and Implementation of IOT-Based Monitoring System on Nanobubble-Based Hydroponics Farming

Maintaining Dissolved Oxygen (DO) levels in the hydroponic plant nutrient solutions can be done using nanobubble technology. Manual monitoring can be time-consuming and measurement results are less accurate. Therefore, a monitoring system is needed to monitor air temperature, air humidity, water temperature, water pH, nutrient concentrations, and DO levels. Several stages in this research are preparation, design, sensor calibration, and monitoring system implementation. Air temperature and humidity conditions can be measured with the DHT22 sensor, water temperature can be measured with the DS18B20 sensor, water pH can be measured with the Analog pH Meter Pro, nutrient density can be measured with the Analog TDS sensor, and DO levels can be measured with the Dissolved Oxygen Sensor. Based on the measurement results monitored by the monitoring system, the parameters that affect the ignition of the nanobubble generator are DO values and water temperature. The system can also visualize sensor data on monitors and online, and can store sensor data locally and IoT so that this system has the potential to monitor hydroponics, especially nanobubble-based hydroponics. Keywords: Sensor, Dissolved Oxygen, Arduino Uno, ESP32-E, NodeMCU ESP8266

The Effect of Hydroponic Nutrient Sources and Planting Media Types on the Growth and Production of Chinese Kale (Brassica oleraceae L.)

Kale is prospective for cultivation because they have a good market. In order to get optimal plant output when growing kale in a hydroponic system, care must be taken to employ AB Mix nutrients and specific planting media types. This study aim at obtaining the right combination of AB Mix nutrients and types of growing media on the yield and growth of Kale plants, which were grown on substrates hydroponic. The study was organized in a Randomized Complete Block Design, with three replicates and factorial arrangement. The first factor was the source of nutrition AB Mix i.e. Infarm, Growrich, and Purie Garden. The second factor was the type of planting media, including husk charcoal, cocopeat, and a mixture of cocopeat and husk charcoal (1:1). Results revealed that the combination treatment of AB Mix nutrients and types of growing media was statistically different on the leaf area. The best combination was between charcoal and Infarm. The source of nutrition AB Mix significantly affected plant growth parameters such as plant height, leaf area, and dry weight of root with Infarm was found to the best nutrient. The type of growing media did not significantly influence all the parameters observed. Interaction between the type of nutrient AB Mix and type of growing media on the leaf area parameter showed with the best result M2A2 (husk charcoal + Infarm) of 700,96 cm2 , but not significantly different from the other treatment. Keywords: AB Mix nutrient, Cocopeat, Husk charcoal, Kale

Tocopherols, Phylloquinone, Ascorbic Acid, and Sugar Contents in Hydroponically Grown Lettuce

Growing vegetables in controlled environments (CEs), such as hydroponics, aquaponics, and vertical structures, is a rapidly expanding industry in Florida and the United States, especially in nearby urban areas. Although lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is still mostly produced in fields, growing in CEs proximal to urban areas has become increasingly popular because it may facilitate reduced transportation time and associated postharvest degradation. Lettuce is among the top-most consumed vegetables in the United States and could provide some of the nutrition missing in the US diet. This research was planned to understand the levels of some vitamins that are key for human health, including vitamin E (tocopherols), vitamin K1 (phylloquinone), and vitamin C (ascorbic acid), in lettuce grown in greenhouse hydroponics. Lettuce germplasm was grown using the hydroponic nutrient film technique system in three greenhouse experiments: at the beginning, middle, and end of the Florida, USA, growing season (from Aug 2020 to Mar 2021). Genetic variation for these vitamins were found among the germplasm tested in the four morphological types of lettuce, romaine, Boston, Latin, and leaf. In addition, a sugar analysis was conducted in this germplasm, of which fructose was the most abundant sugar. A significant genotype × environment (G × E) interaction was observed, indicating that the levels of these compounds, especially vitamins, was environment dependent. However, the presence of certain non-crossover G × E interactions indicates that selecting lettuce in a representative environment could result in new cultivars with higher vitamin content. This research marks the initial steps to improve lettuce for these vitamins, which can contribute to better health of US consumers, not for the highest amount of these compounds in lettuce but for the offset due to its high consumption.

DESAIN PERANGKAT BERBASIS IoT UNTUK PEMANTAUAN DAN PENGENDALIAN KUALITAS AIR PADA SISTEM IRIGASI RUMAH KACA

Because hydroponic plant nutrient is dissolved in the water, water quality management is essential for growing healthy plants. Taking care of the total dissolved solids (TDS) and the pH (water acidity) is essential. The purpose of this research is to create a IoT-based water quality monitoring device. The average TDS after 30 days of automation with an Arduino UNO was 1162.82 ppm, and the gadget kicked on the nutrient pump whenever the TDS fell below 1000 ppm or the EC fell below 2. The mechanism self-adjusts the pH when it falls below 5.5 or rises above 6.5, with a mean of 6.17.

The Effect Of Concentration Of AB Mix Nutrition And Plant Media On Plant Growth And Results Green Sawis (Brassica rapa) With a System Substrat Hydroponics

The research aimed to examine: 1) The effect of AB Mix nutrient concentration on the growth and yield of green mustard, 2) The effect of growing media on plants mustard greens under a substrate hydroponic system, 3) The interaction effect hydroponic nutrient concentration and growing media (cocopiet, husk charcoal and sand) under the substrate hydroponic system. The study used a two-factor randomized block design with three replications. Observation variables included: plant height, leaf number , leaf area, plant fresh weight, root length and root fresh weight. The results showed that the nutrient concentration treatment of AB Mix showed insignificant effects on the variables of plant height (42 Day After Planting), root length and root fresh weight but gave significant effects on leaf number (42 DAP), leaf area and plant fresh weight. The treatment of growing media and the interaction between nutrient concentrations of hydriponic nutrient and growing media showed insignificant results for all observed variables.

Effect of Fluid Mechanics System in Growth of Vegetable Crops using Hydroponics Technique Compared to Conventional System

Hydroponic techniques have major advancements in the recent years compared to Conventional Systems. The flow pattern of fluid used in hydroponic system in a cultivation container affects the growth of plants. Vegetables such as Strawberry, Basil, Cauliflower, Tomato, Spinach and Radish saplings were grown in soil and soilless methods to compare the growth, yield and nutritional value. As for the conventional system, the plants were grown in soil and for hydroponic system Nutrient Film Technique, Deep Water Culture and Wick Systems were used to cultivate plants. On the completion of the growth of the plants, the samples were analysed in laboratory for biochemical analyses. The total yield of Strawberry was 46.5% and tomato with 42.05% in Hydroponics system compared to soil system, whereas in Biochemical analysis Cauliflower gave 10.02% higher results. Chlorophyll content in Basil was observed to be 0.15mg/g and Spinach with 0.04 mg/g which was different from other corresponding results. The commercially harvested root of radish showed a total growth of 22.4 cm in the hydroponic system. The root and shoot lengths had significantly better results in Hydroponic system. Nutritionally, there were not many differences in few aspects whereas the hydroponically grown plants had better qualitative results. It was evident by the obtained results that, the hydroponically grown plants had better results when compared to the plants that were grown conventionally and the fluid flow patterns could also affect the productivity in the hydroponics system.

DEVELOPMENT OF AUTOMATED PH CONTROLLER SYSTEM FOR NFT HYDROPONIC

In a hydroponics system, pH level is one of the most important parameters that affect the way plants respond to a hydroponic nutrient solution. The range of pH levels depends on the type of plants in the hydroponic system. The plant can uptake nutrients efficiently if the nutrient solution needs to be consistently controlled within the pH range. It is important to ensure a balanced pH level in nutrient solutions to maintain the proper growth of plants. Therefore, the pH level in the nutrient solution will automatically be controlled in this Arduino-based system. A mini NFT hydroponic system was used as a project set up to measure the performance of a pH sensor. Utilizing the pH sensor, will measure the pH level of the nutrient solution and send the data to Arduino. Then, the Arduino will receive, process and send the output signal to the peristaltic pump to transfer the pH adjuster solution into the nutrient solution tank until the desired pH level is achieved. The data of the pH, Electrical Conductivity (EC) and temperature of the nutrient solution for the Amaranth plant growing period of 23 days are collected. The result obtained shows that the system is capable of automatically maintaining the pH level in the nutrient solution.Keywords: Amaranth round leaf, Arduino, temperature, EC value

A Predictive Model of Nutrient Recovery from RAS Drum-Screen Effluent for Reuse in Aquaponics

Controlled environment agriculture (CEA) optimizes growth parameters for vegetable and aquaculture production and can be used to address growing global food insecurity. Recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) generate a nutrient-dense effluent that may result in environmental pollution, but with treatment and integration with hydroponic vegetable production may be repurposed as a naturally derived nutrient solution. This work developed a preliminary model using the system feed rate to calculate a plant-essential nutrient discharge rate in RAS effluent. Loading rate equations were created to calculate the daily mass of nutrients entering the system through fish feed, and discharge rate equations were created to calculate the grams of each nutrient discharged in the effluent per kilogram of feed. Data from previous published work were used for validation. The loading-rate percentage discharged for nutrients present in the effluent was between 2.71% and 64.5%, with several nutrients being prominent pollutants and all being required for vegetable growth. This work provides the preliminary framework for calculating nutrient discharge rates, which can be used to mitigate pollution or develop more precise, naturally derived hydroponic nutrient solutions for a circular bioeconomy in CEA.