Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Hydroponic farming'

Food systems are considered one of the most important anthropogenic activities contributing to climate change. On the other hand, climate change influences the conditions for growth with more frequent droughts and heatwaves. This contradiction poses a significant challenge to future food systems, which need not only become more sustainable, but also increase its production to feed a growing population, as stated in both the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and the Swedish action plan on food. This has given rise to alternative ways of producing food, such as urban farming and, in particular vertical hydroponic farming, where food is grown indoors in a controlled environment with artificial lighting and with a minimum use of water and without pesticides. In this study, a vertical hydroponic farm located in Stockholm, Sweden, is examined using life cycle assessment in terms of environmental sustainability. The farm, located in a basement space, works together with the building in a symbiotic network, where the farm provides the building with excess heat from the lighting, and in turn obtains carbon dioxide from an office floor. The findings from the study show that electricity is a major contributor to the environmental performance of the farm, along with the infrastructure employed. The impacts of water use in the farm, is very low, along with the impacts associated with the delivery of the crops; illustrating the advantages of producing food locally. By substituting the synthetic fertilizers employed to biofertilizers, and by substituting the plastic bag material to renewable material, reductions in greenhouse gases are possible. The symbiotic development between the farm and the building is shown very beneficial to the farm, highlighting the importance of synergies between actors in urban areas.
Livsmedelsindustrin anses vara en av de största antropogena drivkrafterna bakom klimatförändringarna. Å andra sidan så förändrar klimatförändringar i sig förutsättningarna för hållbar odling, med mer frekventa torrperioder, extrem värme och extrem nederbörd. Denna konträra situation ställer stora krav på framtidens livsmedelsindustri, som dessutom måste producera mer mat för att mätta en ökande befolkning; ett åtagande som står angivet både i FN:s globala mål och i den svenska Livsmedelsstrategin. Många forskare menar att dagens livsmedelsindustri inte kommer klara denna omställning, och att alternativa metoder för att producera mat behövs. Urban odling har föreslagits som en del av lösningen, och i synnerhet vertikal hydroponisk odling där grödor växer inomhus i en kontrollerad miljö med artificiell belysning, låg vattenanvändning och utan bekämpningsmedel. Den här studien undersökte en vertikal hydroponisk odling i Stockholm, och bedömde dess miljömässiga hållbarhet med hjälp av en livscykelanalys. Odlingen, som sker i en källarlokal, samarbetar med den omslutande byggnaden i en urban symbios, där odlingen förser byggnaden med spillvärme från belysningen, och får i sin tur koldioxid från en kontorslokal. Enligt resultat från studien bidrar elektriciteten till den största miljöpåverkan, men även infrastruktur har stor påverkan. Vattenanvändningen i odlingen är däremot väldigt låg, och miljöpåverkan från leveransen av varorna är mycket låg, vilket belyser fördelarna med att odla mat lokalt. Odlingen kan bland annat minska sin miljöpåverkan genom att byta ut det nuvarande konstgödslet till biogödsel och genom att byta ut plastpåsarnas material till förnybar plast. Symbiosen mellan odlingen och byggnaden visade sig vara väldigt gynnsam, vilket vidare belyser vikten av samspel mellan olika aktörer i den urbana miljön.

Sustainable alternatives to using mined nutrients in agriculture must be found in order to limit environmental impacts such as eutrophication, habitat destruction and greenhouse gas emis-sions. Biogas slurry and urine recycled to hydroponic food production (a type of soilless agri-culture) have the potential of providing inorganic nitrogen and phosphorus, the main essential nutrients required for plant growth. A Life Cycle Inventory Assessment (LCI) methodology has been used to compare the systems of producing artificial fertilizer, biogas slurry and urine based nutrient solutions for the growth of Brassica rapa L. (Chinese cabbage) in the context of a large scale hydroponic vertical farm. Costs and energy requirements have been the basis of the comparison and results show that both biogas slurry and urine are considerably cheaper than the commercial alternative and based on the nutrient content they have the potential of being successful nutrient solutions after dilution and nutrient supplementation. Filtration might also be required in order to remove suspended particles and pathogens.

Many studies have investigated the issue of feeding the world’s growing population from different perspectives. Conventional agricultural methods usually have small production yields while requiring large amounts of scarce and unevenly distributed resources such as farmland and water. Furthermore, although produced food may meet the demands, it is still inefficiently delivered among different regions. Urban agriculture has been proposed to produce food inside urban areas with higher yields and less resource consumption. Hydroponics is one of the urban farming methods that needs further research before being applied on large scales. This study aims to investigate the potential lettuce production using hydroponic systems to grow lettuce domestically in urban areas in Sweden to lower its lettuce import and motivate local food production to become self-sufficient. The study is performed using a literature review, theoretical design of a system, and scenario-based assessment of hydroponic lettuce production. The detailed analysis is performed via a case study of lettuce production in Uppsala municipality and two scenarios considering the reduction of lettuce import to Sweden and related challenges and opportunities of the designed system. The analyses demonstrate that the system paves the way to decrease lettuce import and dependence on trade. Therefore, applying the system increases self-sufficiency and decreases vulnerability to shocks. Nevertheless, the study does not necessarily address issues related to transportation and food miles. Moreover, finding suitable places to establish the system needs further studies.

The world is facing a food shortage as the world’s population increases and arable land decreases. Despite this, the food industry is wasteful, and 30% - 40% of all produced food is lost before reaching the end consumer. Emerging technologies aim to increase the amount of food that can be grown per m2 or allow the growing of food in climates or on lands previously impossible. Four main farming techniques utilising these emerging technologies are Controlled Environment Agriculture, Hydroponic Farming, Urban Farming and Vertical farming. When used together, these techniques form the basis for what can be called a Plant Factory. Despite the positive effects these technologies have on the production rate, few Plant Factories have managed to achieve profitability. By creating support for developing the post-harvesting system for a plant factory, this thesis aims to aid in the development of profitable plant factories. The thesis uses Design Research Methodology to achieve this aim in three parts. The first part identifies the underlying factors of the post-harvesting system affecting plant factory profitability. The second presents a set of support components that will aid the developers to improve key factors affecting profitability. The third part is a case study where the support components applicability at targeting the key factors are evaluated, and suggestions for further improvements and testing of the support is suggested.  Further, using Design Research Methodology, the methods used to develop support in this thesis are presented to easily be replicated by other researchers to aid them in developing support for other industries and circumstances. The suitability of the developed support was tested using the principles of an initial DS-II. The developed support proved very useful for the investigated case, and with its conditions, the application evaluation was considered a partial success. Two key factors were successfully improved and indicated that the intended support is ready for a comprehensive DS-II. A third support component needs more work to provide the intended support fully. Therefore a second  PS iteration is recommended before a comprehensive DS-II is done to increase its value.

Vertical farming has been proposed as a solution for providing food security for an increasing, urbanized human population. Light-emitting diode (LED) technology has become increasingly affordable and efficient, making it an ideal choice as artificial lighting for indoor farms. Still largely undiscovered parameters are the optimal plant varieties and types of production systems for plant growth, profit, and human nutrition. Aquaponics may be able to provide sustainable animal protein for vertical farms, increasing their ability to provide more substantial nutrition to consumers. This research aimed to better understand vertical farming as a food production system, and to determine if aquaponics can be an appropriate and applicable fit for it. The experiment was a randomized, factorial design with three independent variables: (1) LED photoperiod interval (2) LED-plant distance, and (3) nutrient solution, as well as several dependent variables to assess both plant yield and quality. A 4-tiered shelving unit was constructed for nutrient film technique (NFT) plant production, and treatments were assigned to each row: (1) LED experiment: Row A, 12/12hr reduced photoperiod with adjustable LEDs 4in. above plant surface; Row B, 2/1hr altered photoperiod interval relative to the control; Row C (control), 16/8hr “standard” photoperiod. (2) Nutrient experiment: Row C, aquaponic nutrient solution; Row H, hydroponic nutrient solution. Rows C and H had matched photoperiod and light intensity. Kale from Row A had significantly lower fresh and dry plant yield relative to the control, Row C (p<0.05). Hydroponic romaine, Row H, had significantly higher plant yield relative to aquaponics, Row C (p<0.05). Butterhead yields were not significantly different in any treatments (p>0.05). Future research may implement a larger sample size of only one plant variety, harvest plants earlier, limit light intensity variation, effectively “balance” the aquaponics system, and have more measures of plant “quality.”

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Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior - CAPES
In the conventional and hydroponic cultivation of lettuce, agricultural defensives and fertilizers are used, which presents concentrations of toxic elements in its composition and may alter the aliment’s quality. Thus, the present study aims to evaluate the content of the heavy metals Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb in soil, nutritive solution and lettuce leaves in the region of Toledo – PR. Samples of lettuce and its substrates were collected from five hydroponic and five conventional proprieties, which were submitted to nitroperchloric digestion for the determination of metal contents through spectrophotometry of atomic adsorption AAS/6300. The experimental delimitation was entirely randomized, with ten treatments and three repetitions, and the results were submitted to variance analysis and to Turkey’s test at 5% significance level; also, the Pearson’s correlation (r) was performed between the variables substrate and lettuce leaves. It was observed that the lettuce studied, in general, presented higher contents of Cd and Cr in the hydroponic cultivation - in which 5 of the hydroponic proprieties, 4 of them presented significantly superior than the conventional ones - according to the Turkey’s test; for the element Cu, significant difference also occurred between the farming methods, however there was significant variance in the cultivation of each property; and for Pb, it was observed that the majority of the samples collected presented higher concentrations than the tolerable limits established by ANVISA - whereas the conventional method presented itself statistically similar between each property, for the hydroponic method, two properties presented themselves significantly superior to the others, and statistically different between each other. When the metal concentrations in the lettuce leaves was compared with the substrate, in general, for both conventional and hydroponic methods the contents in the lettuce didn’t show correlation to the contents in the substrate, which indicate that the contamination may be occurring through the use of agrochemicals and agricultural inputs, used for the control of plagues and diseases, aside from inappropriate management. Thus, it is possible to conclude that the variation in metal concentrations in the same cultivation method is due to the fact that the use of different agrochemicals and fertilizes is allowed, which contain different compositions. Furthermore, the pulverization date previous to sampling of the lettuce may have caused some variations to the composition of the vegetable, as well as inappropriate handling of the aliment.
Nos cultivos de alface convencional e hidropônica são utilizados defensivos agrícolas e fertilizantes, que apresentam concentrações de elementos tóxicos em sua composição e podem alterar a qualidade do alimento. Dessa forma, o presente trabalho objetivou avaliar os teores dos metais pesados Cd, Cr, Cu e Pb em solo, solução nutritiva e folhas de alfaces na região de Toledo – PR. Foram coletadas amostras de alfaces e de seus substratos em cinco propriedades hidropônicas e cinco convencionais, cujas amostras foram submetidas à digestão nítrico-perclórica para determinação dos teores de metais por meio de espectrofotômetro de absorção atômica AAS/6300. O delineamento experimental foi inteiramente casualizado, com dez tratamentos e três repetições e os resultados foram submetidos à análise de variância e ao teste Tukey ao nível de 5% de significância; ainda foi realizada a correlação de Pearson (r) entre as variáveis substrato e folhas de alface. Observou-se que as alfaces estudadas em geral apresentaram maiores concentrações de Cd e Cr no cultivo hidropônico, sendo que dos 5 cultivos hidropônicos, 4 deles mostraram-se significativamente superiores ao cultivo convencional pelo teste de Tukey; para o elemento Cu, também ocorreu diferença significativa entre os cultivos, no entanto houve uma grande variação entre as culturas e para o Pb, observou-se que a maioria das amostras coletadas apresentavam concentrações superiores ao limite tolerável estabelecido pela ANVISA, sendo que o cultivo convencional mostrou-se estatisticamente semelhante entre si; quanto aos cultivos hidropônicos, dois cultivos mostraram-se significativamente superiores aos demais, e estatisticamente diferentes entre si. Quando comparadas as concentrações de metais nas folhas de alface com o substrato, de forma geral, tanto para o cultivo convencional, quanto para o cultivo hidropônico os teores na alface não apresentaram correlação com os teores no substrato, o que indica que a contaminação pode estar ocorrendo através do uso de agrotóxicos e insumos utilizados para o controle de pragas e doenças, além do manejo inadequado. Assim, pode-se dizer que a variação nas concentrações de metais na mesma cultura deve-se ao fato de ser permitido o uso de diferentes agrotóxicos e fertilizantes, os quais possuem composições distintas. Além disso, a data de pulverização previamente à coleta das alfaces pode ter ocasionado algumas variações na composição da hortaliça, bem como o manejo inadequado do alimento.

Denna rapport behandlar en fallstudie i ett kandidatexamensarbete som utförts tillsammans med en livsmedelsbutik i Stockholmsområdet och som grundar sig i intervjuer, platsbesök och vetenskapliga artiklar. Där livsmedelsbutiken har ett intresse av att implementera en odling i form av ett hydroponiskt system direkt i sin butik.  I fallstudien har det undersökts hur implementering av odling i butik genom ett samarbete med ett odlingsföretag skulle fungera och se ut för butiken. Studien har begränsats till två olika odlingsföretag i Sverige, som har varsitt koncept på hur odlingen kan implementeras, gemensamt för dem är att de använder vertikal odling i form av hydroponiska system. Där det ena företaget erbjuder vertikal odling i en odlingscontainer och det andra vertikal odling inne i ett växthus. Båda företagens olika odlingskoncept har redan implementerats i två andra livsmedelsbutiker inom samma koncern som livsmedelsbutiken i Stockholm befinner sig i.  Fallstudien har genomförts genom att först skapa en bred bakgrund genom litteratursökningar i olika databaser kring relevanta nyckelord för att sedan genomföra intervjuer med båda odlingsföretagen och livsmedelsbutikerna. Därefter har kunskap och svar från respondenterna i intervjuerna sammanställts och ett förslag har tagits fram om vilket odlingsföretag som lämpar sig bäst för livsmedelsbutikens ändamål.  Resultatet visar att möjligheterna och fördelarna vid en implementering av hydroponisk odling för livsmedelsbutiken i Stockholmsområdet att implementera hydroponisk odling är flera och överväger till största del de möjliga utmaningarna. Dessutom gynnas flera av hållbarhetsmålen till livsmedelsbutikens koncern genom implementering av en hydroponisk odling i butiken. Vidare gynnas även några av de Förenta Nationernas Globala mål och även livsmedelsbutikens egna hållbarhetsmål.
This report is the result and outcome of a bachelor's thesis project conducted during the spring of 2021. The report presents the performed case study of a grocery store, in the area of Stockholm, where the company is aiming to implement a hydroponic self-cultivation inside their grocery store. The work is based on conducting interviews and reviewing established scientific articles in the field.  In the case study, it has been investigated how a potential collaboration between the grocery store and a cultivation company can be established. The study was limited to investigating two cultivation companies active on the Swedish market. These two cultivation companies have different solutions of how the cultivation can be implemented on the store area, but both offer vertical hydroponic solutions. Further, both systems of the individual cultivation companies’ have been implemented in other grocery stores that can be used as reference for validation of data.  The literature review of existing publications were conducted by searching in different databases by using the keywords of this work, for the researcher to increase knowledge to create guides for the interviews and for creating the theoretical frame of reference. Thereafter, literature findings and answers from the interviewees were compiled, analyzed and discussed to make a proposition of which cultivation company is best suited for a potential collaboration, with regard to the grocery stores’ wishes of implementing a hydroponic solution.  The results show that several of the grocery stores’ sustainability goals would benefit from a potential implementation of a self-cultivation. Also, implementing a hydroponic farm on the store area would increase the grocery store’s contribution towards achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.

The purpose of this project is to make it easier to grow plants domestically all year round. The objective is to construct a remotely controllable and environmentally independent automated hydroponic system. This would minimize the efforts required by the user to sustain plants in non-native climates. A hydroponic gardening system uses water as a growth medium instead of soil. The system is climate conscious and has benefits compared to conventional agriculture. Hydroponic systems are affected by several factors, this project only focuses on controlling the light intensity by isolating the system, and regulating the nutrient concentration through EC. The system uses a microcontroller for analysis and control. The results are promising, showing that the system works. However, the limitations in time led to a short test period, therefore the data gathered is limited. The discussion based on the results conclude that the system cannot be considered completely automatic but reduces the need of manual labour.
Syftet med detta projekt är att göra det lättare att odla växter inhemskt året runt. Målet är att konstruera ett fjärrstyrbart och miljöoberoende automatiskt hydroponiskt system. Detta ska minimera ansträngningarna från användaren för att underhålla växter i icke-inhemska klimat. Ett hydroponiskt odlingssystem använder vatten som tillväxtmedium istället för jord. Tekniken har fördelar jämfört med konventionell odling vilket gör hydroponi mer miljövänligt. Hydroponiska system påverkas av flera faktorer, men detta projekt fokuserar bara på att kontrollera ljusintensiteten genom att isolera ljuset inom systemet samt att reglera näringsämne-koncentrationen genom att mäta den elektriska ledningsförmågan i vattnet. Systemet använder en mikrokontroll för analys och kontroll. Resultaten är lovande och visar att systemet fungerar. Däremot har begränsningarna i tid lett till en kort testperiod, därför är data som samlas in begränsad. Diskussionen baserad på resultaten drar slutsatsen att systemet inte kan anses vara helt automatiskt men reducerar behovet av manuell arbetskraft.

Experiments were conducted with tomato under shade netting and with lettuce in a vertical hydroponic system at the Hatfield Experimental Farm, University of Pretoria. The objectives of the study were: 1. To evaluate the effect of different types of shade netting on tomato production 2. To develop a vertical hydroponic system for lettuce production which would be suitable for use by small-scale farmers. In the tomato trial the highest number of fruit per plant (47) was produced under 12% white shade and 40% black shade nets, and the lowest fruit number (35) was produced under 30% black net. The highest yield of 6.2 kg per plant was obtained under the 18% white net while 30% black net produced the lowest yield of 3.9 kg per plant. The test yield of lettuce grown in plastic tubes with eight vertically arranged plant positions were obtained with a continuous high flow rate of the nutrient solution. However, a simplified manual system where the nutrient solution was delivered by gravity from a small reservoir tank resulted in comparable yields.
Dissertation (M Inst Agrar (Agronomy))--University of Pretoria, 2007.
Plant Production and Soil Science
unrestricted

This paper examined how Change Management and Transformational Leadership can be effective tools in transitioning towards sustainable agriculture in Europe. This paper starts with providing empirical evidence for climate change and shows that Northern and Southern Europe are impacted differently by climate change. Then this paper examined how climate change affects farmers in the different parts of Europe and what Societal, Environmental, Leadership and Organisational changes have to be made to transition towards sustainable agriculture in Europe. The qualitative analysis shows that, according to farmer associations, there is a need for a variety of options, a lack of communication and insufficient involvement of farmers on a policy making level. This paper ends with explaining how Change Management and Transformational Leadership can be used as tools to improve communication between stakeholders and improve the involvement of farmers in the co-creation process. Therefore, this paper concludes that Change Management and Transformational leadership will help the European Union in realising sustainable agriculture in Europe.

Wissenschaftler sind weltweit bereits seit geraumer Zeit darum bemüht, Lösungen für die praktikable Umsetzung einer urbanen Produktion frischer Gemüse zu erarbeiten. Die hydroponischer Anbauverfahren haben ein überdurchschnittlich hohes Potential, wenn es um die Einsparung von Produktionsmitteln geht. So können im Pflanzenbau gegenüber dem Freilandanbau bis zu 90 Prozent des eingesetzten Wassers durch geschlossene Kreisläufe eingespart werden. Diese Kreisläufe vermeiden zudem den Eintrag von Düngemittel in die Umwelt. Der geschützte Anbau in Hochhäusern sorgt für ein optimales Pflanzenwachstum ohne ungünstige Witterungseinflüsse. So ist nicht nur eine sichere marktnahe Produktion gewährleistet, es kann auch das ganze Jahr hindurch produziert werden. Transporte von Produkten aus weit entfernten Gegenden anderer Länder können somit vermieden werden. Hinzu kommt die Flächenersparnis und die damit hohe Flächenproduktivität führen. Dennoch zeigen erste Umsetzungsversuche auf, dass es noch einen hohen Grad an Forschungs- und Entwicklungsarbeit bedarf bis eine profitable Lösung für den Markt bereit steht. Insbesondere der hohe technische Aufwand und Energiebedarf erster Testanlagen sind hier als besondere Herausforderung anzusehen. In dem umfassend angelegten Forschungs- und Entwicklungsvorhaben mit dem Namen BrickBorn Farming – Nahrungsmittelproduktion in Gebäuden städtischer Gebiete sollen verschiedenste Aspekte weiterentwickelt und miteinander verknüpft werden.

With our ever increasing global population it will be necessary for dense urban environments to develop methods of farming locally. Not only will urban agriculture be beneficial in aiding in the solution of this growing populations need for food production, but it can help to reconnect us to our food and their processes. This dissertation explores the education and reconnection of the public with the food production cycle through the experience of building integrated agriculture, vermiculture and aquaponic systems (cultivating plants and fish symbiotically). Pretoria’s Apies River is an ideal location for the establishment of a research facility of urban ecosystemic food production. The proposed urban agriculture program will allow for hands on research and development of emerging methods and technologies related to farming in the city environment while providing a platform for public education through interaction&inspiration.
Dissertation (MArch(Prof))--University of Pretoria, 2011.
Architecture
unrestricted

There is a growing demand for indoor farm management systems that can track plant growth, allow automatic control and aid in real-time decision making. Internet of Thing (IoT)-based solutions are being applied to meet these needs and numerous researchers have created prototypes for meeting specific needs using sensors, algorithms, and automations. However, limited studies are available that report on comprehensive large-scale experiments to test various aspects related to availability, scalability and reliability of sensors and actuators used in low-cost indoor farms. The purpose of this study was to develop a low-cost, IoT devices driven indoor farm as a testbed for growing microgreens and other experimental crops. The testbed was designed using off-the-shelf sensors and actuators for conducting research experiments, addressing identified challenges, and utilizing remotely acquired data for developing an intelligent farm management system. The sensors were used for collecting and monitoring electrical conductivity (EC), pH and dissolved oxygen (DO) levels of the nutrient solution, light intensity, environmental variables, and imagery data. The control of light emitting diodes (LEDs), irrigation pumps, and camera modules was carried out using commercially available components. All the sensors and actuators were remotely monitored, controlled, and coordinated using a cloud-based dashboard, Raspberry Pis, and Arduino microcontrollers. To implement a reliable, real-time control of actuators, edge computing was used as it helped in minimizing latency and identifying anomalies.

Decision making about overall system performance and harvesting schedule was accomplished by providing alerts on anomalies in the sensors and actuators and through installation of cameras to predict yield of microgreens, respectively. A split-plot statistical design was used to evaluate the effect of lighting, nutrition solution concentration, seed density, and day of harvest on the growth of microgreens. This study complements and expands past efforts by other researchers on building a low cost IoT-based indoor farm. While the experience with the testbed demonstrates its real-world potential of conducting experimental research, some major lessons were learnt along the way that could be used for future enhancements.

CEMS
The objective of this report is to propose a business plan for Kowa’s leafy vegetable business outside of Japan. The final recommendation is for Kowa to enter Silicon Valley, California, with six frozen smoothies (where two can be made into “smoops” or soups) with hydroponically-grown leafy vegetables as ingredients. These smoothies and “smoops” are primarily targeting the notoriously hard-working and affluent office workers of Silicon Valley, who have a need for nutritious, vegetarian and quick meals, as was identified through market research. Finally, financial projections show net profits in the second year of operations and break-even within 4-5years. In the second half of the report a literature review of Green Marketing will be given, explaining the definition and history of research of this topic as well, as selected research results

A agricultura de precisão tem atualmente uma grande importância, uma vez que junta o conhecimento adquirido através das tradicionais técnicas de cultivo com a precisão e a automação tecnológica. Uma das técnicas inerentes da agricultura de precisão é a hidroponia, sendo as plantas cultivadas com recurso a soluções aquosas e sem a disponibilidade do solo. Para apoio ao projeto foi montada uma pequena estufa com todo o equipamento necessário à hidroponia, na Ponta do Sol. Dentro desta, realizou-se todo o desenvolvimento e, consequentemente, a obtenção dos resultados deste projeto. Uma das grandes desvantagens dos sistemas de automatização em hidroponia é encontrarem-se ainda num patamar de elevado investimento, tornando-se numa realidade pouco possível para uma pequena/média escala ou para regiões de minifúndio, como é o caso da Ilha da Madeira. Foi, por isso, desenvolvido um sistema com recurso a elementos de baixo custo que automatizassem todo o controlo. Foram utilizados microcontroladores com Wi-Fi, que realizam a medição dos diversos valores dos sensores (por exemplo: da temperatura interior e da exterior, da humidade do ar, da altura da água do poço, etc.) e que comunicam até ao centro de processamento, sendo este um Raspberry Pi. Neste dispositivo, os dados são tratados para depois serem enviados e guardados numa base de dados remota. Além disto, foi desenvolvido uma aplicação web para apoio ao utilizador, sendo possível verificar as condições ambientais ao longo do tempo, os gastos e a gestão das suas produções, utilizando para isso, relatórios de produção e gráficos que permitem a correlação de valores. Foi também dada grande importância à monitorização e à recuperação de erros, já que este é um sistema suscetível a falhas. Neste trabalho, além de toda a parte do desenvolvimento arquitetural entre camadas de cliente, camada intermédia e camadas de dados, foi ainda estudada a utilização de sensores de humidade na raiz da planta. Desta forma, foi possível automatizar a recirculação de água, utilizando algoritmos que tornam possível uma elevada poupança no tempo total em que a bomba de água se encontra ligada. A poupança evidenciada rondou os 89%. Um dos equipamentos de elevado custo nestes sistemas é o equipamento de monitorização e de calibração automática da quantidade de nutrientes, sendo também criado um equipamento que realizasse estas funções, recorrendo a bombas de dosagem de baixo custo. Por fim, é de notar que os algoritmos de rega e todos os mecanismos de poupança presentes neste projeto tornam este sistema facilmente transformável num projeto que utilize, maioritariamente, energia fotovoltaica (em vez de ser só nos pontos de aquisição de dados, como é mais recorrente). Isto deve-se ao facto de o sistema ativar-se quando é apenas necessário e é ativado com maior frequência nos picos de produção de energia fotovoltaica.
Nowadays, precision agriculture has a great importance, once it uses both the acquired knowledge of the traditional techniques of precision farming and the technological automation. Hydroponics is one of the inherent techniques of the precision agriculture. The plants are grown using aqueous solutions and without the availability of the soil. To support the project, a small greenhouse with all the equipment necessary for hydroponics was set up in Ponta do Sol. Within this project, all the development was carried out and, consequently, the results of this project were obtained. One of the major disadvantages of hydroponics automation systems is that they require high investment levels, which it makes too difficult to implement in a small/medium scale or for small-scale regions such as Madeira. Therefore, a system was developed using low-cost elements that automated all control. Wi-Fi microcontrollers were utilised, which measure the various values of the sensors (for example: indoor and outdoor temperature, air humidity, well water height, etc.) and which communicate to the processing centre, being this a Raspberry Pi. In this device, the data is processed to be sent afterwards and stored in a remote database. In addition, a web application was developed to support the user, being possible to verify the environmental conditions over time, the expenses and the management of their productions, using for this, production reports and graphs that allow the correlation of values. A great importance has also been given to monitoring and recovering errors, as this is a system susceptible to failures. In this work, besides all the architectural development between client layers, intermediate layer and data layer, the utilisation of moisture sensors in the root of the plant was also studied. In this way, it was possible to automate the recirculation of water, using algorithms that make possible a high saving in the total time in which the water pump is on. Savings were around 89%. One of the expensive equipment in these systems is the equipment for monitoring and the automatic calibration of the quantity of nutrients, being also created an equipment which performs these functions using low-cost dosing pumps. Finally, it should be noted that the irrigation algorithms and all the saving mechanisms present in this project make this system easily transformable in a project that uses, mainly, photovoltaic energy (rather than just at data acquisition points, as it is most recurrent). This happens because the system is activated when it is only necessary, and it is more frequently activated at the peaks of photovoltaic energy production.