HydroLab: A Module for the Investigation of Fertigation Strategies in Hydroponics

Abstract

In recent times, hydroponics has gained popularity as a viable solution to the challenges facing traditional agriculture, as it offers an environmentally friendly option with higher crop yields and improved quality, eliminating the need for soil. Despite these benefits, hydroponics still encounters significant difficulties, particularly in optimizing fertigation strategies. The literature contains several studies focusing on test benches for investigating technological recommendations related to fertigation strategies. However, there has been no proposed test bench capable of simultaneously exploring various types of fertigation strategies. In this work, HydroLab is introduced: a hydroponic module that allows for the simultaneous comparison of two types of fertigation strategies and enables remote monitoring and control through IoT functionality. Additionally, HydroLab’s potential to generate technological recommendations has been validated through a case study comparing time-based and solar radiation-based fertigation in lettuce cultivation. The case study successfully showcases the capability of HydroLab to investigate and compare different fertigation strategies. Given the global importance of food security challenges, this work is expected to contribute to the investigation of fertigation strategies in hydroponics.