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The local smart hydroponic project funded and supervised by the Ministry of Science and Technology (DOST) has been completed, and the results show "the potential to improve hydroponic farm enterprises."
DOST Secretary Fortunato “Boy” T. de la Peña stated that the project is funded by Cooperative Research and Development (CRADLE) using the Philippine economy and supervised by DOST-Philippines Agricultural, Aquatic and Natural Resources Research and Development Commission (DOST)-PCARRD ).
"With the application of the Internet of Things (IoT) technology, the monitoring and control of the growth parameters of lettuce grown in a nutrient film technology (NFT) hydroponic system can now be automated," he said in a report.
The research team at Iloilo University of Technology (ISAT U) is led by the project leader, Dr. Renerio Mucas.
De la Peña said that Mucas developed hardware and firmware components and installed and tested them at Ephrathah Farms Inc. in Badianan, Iloilo City.
"The smart greenhouse hydroponic equipment is equipped with sensors and communication technology, which can automatically capture data on basic parameters such as temperature, acidity or pH, electrical conductivity (EC), and water flow. The collected data is monitored, analyzed and controlled through the Internet of Things platform ,"He said.
"In addition to monitoring through a personal computer, the use of Android applications can also allow farm managers to remotely monitor system status or control specific water flow, fertilization and water cooling actuators."
The person in charge of DOST explained that traditionally, microclimate and agronomic parameters are manually recorded and are inconsistent.
"The smart greenhouse minimizes labor and makes it less tedious. It helps to increase the efficiency of the use of resources and nutrients, while optimizing yield benefits."
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