Evaluating plant growth performance in a greenhouse hydroponic salad system using the internet of things

Abstract

Hydroponic salad cultivation is becoming increasingly popular. However, a common challenge is the lack of time to maintain hydroponic vegetables due to other responsibilities. This study presents a hydroponic system based on the internet of things (IoT) technique, designed to save time by enabling remote control through a mobile application connected to a NodeMCU microcontroller. Various sensors are integrated with the NodeMCU for real-time monitoring and automation. The study also explores the use of RGB LEDs, which significantly accelerated plant growth and reduced cultivation time. A comparative experimental design was employed to evaluate the growth rate of green oak salad vegetables under two different greenhouse systems. The primary factor compared was the greenhouse system type, with plant growth rate as the outcome variable. Each treatment was replicated 10 times. F-tests were used to statistically determine significant differences in growth rates between the two systems across measured intervals. Results showed that the automated greenhouse system produced the highest leaf width and plant weight values. The use of RGB LEDs reduced the cultivation period from 45 days to 30 days, enabling more planting cycles and ultimately increasing overall yield.