IoT-based monitoring system for hydroponics

Abstract

A hydroponic system is a method to grow plants using water. Hence, the quality of plant water must be at an optimal level to ensure the plants grow well. This project proposed Internet of Things (IoT) technology to monitor plant water quality. In this project, the NodeMCU ESP32 microcontroller is used to control the entire hydroponic system, while the Total Dissolves Solid (TDS) sensor and ultrasonic sensor (HCSR04) were used to measure the plant water quality (water concentration and water level inside the reservoir). The Cayenne myDevices App acts as a platform for mobile monitoring. The measured data from both sensors will be sent to NodeMCU ESP32 by using Wi-Fi connectivity, before being sent to Cayenne myDevices App to be displayed on mobile devices. The water concentration and the water level inside the reservoir are the elements that were monitored in this project, and this project focuses on mustard green cultivation. The results of several experiments that have been carried out show that the proposed hydroponic cultivation monitoring system-based IoT technology successfully displays the water quality of mustard green through display on mobile devices using the Cayenne myDevices App. Users will also be notified when the distance between the ultrasonic sensor and the water level inside the reservoir is more than 10 cm, and the reading of water concentration is lower than 840 ppm. Overall, the monitoring system developed in this project is proven to be able to effectively monitor the water quality of mustard green plants.