HyLo: Implementation of LoRaWAN in an Automated Hydroponics System

Abstract

Global warming is one of the characteristics of climate change; the impacts of global warming make it more difficult to plant in an uncontrolled environment. Traditional farming methods need producers to have high-quality soil and a lot of space and water. On the other hand, the yield does not correspond to or meet the demands of the consumers. As a result, it is important to employ a farming approach that has a reduced cost factor need and to preserve and manage critical factors such as light, water level temperature, and humidity. This article discusses HyLo, a smart vertical hydroponics farming system that eliminates the need for soil. Instead of underground soil, this approach cultivates crops by exposing their roots to a combination of solutions and water in the form of vertical nutrient film technique (NFT) pipes. Vertical farming is advantageous in terms of space and plant layout, and it is also successful when used in conjunction with hydroponics. The evolution of technology in terms of automation and data transmission resulted in the evolution of smart hydroponics, since detection, correction, and monitoring of key parameters are all present. Additionally, it was combined with the LoRaWAN technology, which enables long-range, low-power data transmission over a wide area network (WAN). The number of leaves and circumference of lettuce grown in the suggested hydroponics system were compared to those grown in the traditional system. The results indicated that the suggested hydroponics arrangement produced more lettuce leaves and a larger diameter than the traditional configuration.