Agriculture & Food, Volume 11, 2023

Abstract: Hydroponics, a soilless growing method using nutrient-rich water solutions, offers distinct advantages in plant growth and resource efficiency. Data-driven optimization in hydroponics relies on precise control of environmental factors. To effectively apply data-driven optimization, comprehensive and accurate data describing hydroponic plant growth is essential. In the first part of the project and in this paper, we seek to identify critical parameters that influence plant growth, recommend optimal resolutions and measurement frequencies, and address challenges in data collection. Standardization of data collection procedures and establishment of data collection guidelines are fundamental to obtaining high quality, comparable and reproducible data. Establishing a standard for data collection will allow data from different experiments to be compared and used in future research. In the initial phase of the project and throughout this paper, our primary objective is to identify the relevant parameters affecting plant growth in a hydroponic system. These critical parameters encompass aspects such as light intensity, spectral composition, nutrient solution composition, water quality, pH levels, and more. By conducting a thorough investigation, we aim to recommend optimal resolutions for these parameters. Additionally, we will address the challenges associated with collecting data related to these key variables, ensuring that the data obtained is reliable and useful to further research and scientific exploration in the field of hydroponics. Accurate data on these characteristics enables data-driven decisions and methods, such as machine learning and machine vision, which in turn allow optimization of hydroponic productivity. The study conducted a comprehensive analysis and identified 30 essential parameters crucial for characterizing a hydroponic system. The findings are summarized as a list of relevant parameters that need to be measured or recorded to enable data-driven optimization of hydroponic systems.