Materials Today: Proceedings 68 (2022) 2163–2166

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Materials Today: Proceedings

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Hydroponic farming – A state of art for the future agriculture

Kannan M a,⇑, Elavarasan G b, Balamurugan A a, Dhanusiya B c, Freedon D a
a
Department of Automobile Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, NCR Campus, Ghaziabad 201204, India
b
Department of Mechanical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, NCR Campus, Uttar Pradesh 201204, India
c
Department of Electrical Engineering, SRM Institute of Science and Technology, NCR Campus, Uttar Pradesh 201204, India

a r t i c l e i n f o a b s t r a c t

Article history: The hydroponic Farming System is considered an alternative to conventional farming systems to reduce
Available online 9 September 2022 water requirements. The hydroponic farming system is beneficial, especially in areas with severe soil
degradation and limited water availability. This farming method also proves eco-friendly due to no
Keywords: requirement of pesticides and less water requirement. There are many challenges faced by the conven-
Hydroponic farming tional farming method, i.e.,Soil. A few are climate change, urbanization, increased use of fertilizers, and
Bacteria farming natural calamities that can’t be prevented. In contrast,the hydroponic farming system doesn’t need to
Soil based farming
face any of the challenges mentioned above, as this farming system can also be a multi-story farming sys-
Pesticides farming
tem only by grounding the stands. In this report, we will observe the different benefits and limitations of
the hydroponic farming system through the cultivation of different crops like coriander and leafy vegeta-
bles. Less time is required for the yield, and no soil-borne diseases. Easy management of crops, zero
growth of weeds, and no requirement for spraying water are among the few advantages of the hydro-
ponic farming system that we will discuss further in this report. A hydroponic farming system can assure
minimum water savings of up to 70–80% compared to that of soil-based farming systems. This paper
explains Hydroponic farming’s importance, advantages, and disadvantages.
Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 4th International Con-
ference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2022).

1. Introduction
We can observe changes in climatic cycles every year. Irregular
rainfall and extreme climates are nothing new. So, we must evolve
our lifestyle and how we used to do things. There are many areas
where there has been drought from many years, and many people
are affected by the same as a lot of them cannot afford to buy water
or dig a borewell. Therefore, the same water cannot be used as
used earlier. So, in order to sustain daily challenges, we need to
upgrade conventional ways of doing things. Soil-less farming sys-
tem i.e. Hydroponic Farming System is considered an alternative
for the conventional farming system to reduce water requirement.
Nowadays, the popularity of the hydroponic farming system is
increasing daily due to the quality of yield produced and efficient
management of resources as the only maintenance is to maintain
the TDS of water[1]. We can maintain the TDS the manual, semi-
automatic, and fully automatic conditions. Different crops need
different TDS levels to grow well [2]. Easy management of crops,
⇑ Corresponding author. Tel.: 8124910892.
E-mail address: royalkannan11@gmail.com (M Kannan).
zero growth of weeds and no requirement for spraying water are
among the few advantages of the hydroponic farming system that
we are going to discuss further in this report. Through hydroponic
farming system we can assure minimum water savings of up to
70–80 % compared to soil-based farming system. Because there is
no water loss through the bacteria and other microorganisms pre-
sent in water, there is less evaporation of water when compared to
its counterpart. Netherland, UK, US, Israel, Canada are among the
leading nations accepting hydroponic farming systems the most.
Hydroponic farming system, commonly known as soil less farming
system, is the modern method of farming in which plants are
grown in water and nutrient solution using inert medium such
as coco peat to support the roots. Early development of hydroponic
farms was seen in places such as Germany, Holland, Iran, Italy,
Japan, Russia Federation, Abu Dhabi, Arizona, Belgium, California,
and so on. As we are all aware of the fact that the world’s popula-
tion is increasing at a very rapid rate that requires for an increase
in resources to properly meet the needs of each and every-one one
of them[3]. Increased population means increased urbanization
and a decrease in cultivable lands. So, to sustain human needs to
evolve and upgrade existing methods of survival. The most basic

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.matpr.2022.08.416
2214-7853/Copyright Ó 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Selection and peer-review under responsibility of the scientific committee of the 4th International Conference on Advances in Mechanical Engineering (ICAME 2022).
M Kannan, G Elavarasan, A Balamurugan et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 68 (2022) 2163–2166

need of a human being is food, so first we need to upgrade farming

systems that can produce better yield in less time and area. That’s
where hydroponic farming system comes into play and meets
almost every requirement of modern-day farming system[4]. There
are many other alternatives to hydroponic farming system too that
includes aquaponics (aqua agriculture) and aeroponics (aerobic
agriculture) as well as substrate culture i.e. growing crops in
fungi. But hydroponic farming system is getting the most of the
spotlight because of its very efficient management of nutrients
and yields. A wide variety of commercial crops can be grown
through hydroponics. Some of them are Tomatoes, cucumbers,
peppers, strawberries, leafy vegetables. So, this research covers
the advantages and limitations of the hydroponic farming system,
and various aspects of soil-less farming system.(See Figs. 1-5).

Fig. 2. Drip System.

2. Different hydroponic structures & their operations

2.1. Wick system

Most convenient hydroponic farming system in which no elec-

trical system is required. Plants are placed inside the pot which is
already stuffed with an inert medium like coco peat with a nylon
wick connecting the plant roots to the nutrient solution con-
tainer[5]. This nylon wick undergoes capillary action and provides
plant roots with the necessary amount of nutrient solution. This
type of hydroponic farming system works well for small plants like
herbs or some spices but struggles against plants that require a lot
of nutrient solutions.

Fig. 3. Ebb and Flow system.

2.2. Drip system

They are known for its simplicity and Economic advantage over
others. Both commercial and domestic growers commonly use this
hydroponic farming system. An electric pump providessufficient
nutrient solution from the main reservoir[6]. Plant roots are gener-
ally dripped into nutrient solution. Through a drip farming system
various crops can be grown systematically with more water
conservation.

2.3. Ebb and flow system

Commonly known for its simple design and operation and low
initial cost. In this system, pots are filled with an inert medium
such as coco peat, which can anchor the roots and act as a tempo-
rary nutrient solution reservoir[6]. And the nutrient solution is
flooded into the system and is allowed to ebb away.

Fig. 4. Deep Water Culture(DWC).

2.4. Deep water culture

They are commonly used for large plants, especially fruits or

vegetables bearing plants like tomatoes or cucumber. In this farm-
ing system, plant roots are dipped into the nutrient solution and an
air stone is installed to provide air directly to the system. Due to
the roots being directly dipped in nutrient-rich solution, plants
grow quick in a large mass[7]. But this is not commonly used
because of its complexity as it is necessary to maintain the pH,
salinity, nutrient concentrations and oxygen level as there are

Fig. 1. Wick System.

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M Kannan, G Elavarasan, A Balamurugan et al. Materials Today: Proceedings 68 (2022) 2163–2166

4. pH and electrical conductivity management

Nutrients used to make solution are dissolved in water and

mostly in inorganic and ionic form. There are total of 17 nutrients
that are required for the proper growth of plants, most basic of
them are Hydrogen, Carbon, and Oxygen and rest of them are clas-
sified as follows:
Micro: Iron, Manganese, Copper, Zinc, Boron, Chlorine, Molybde-
num, Nickel.
Macro: Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, Calcium, Magnesium,
Sulfur.
All 17 nutrients are provided to the plants through their roots in
Fig. 5. Nutrient Film Technique(NFT).
the form of the solution formed when dissolved in water[11]. The
most efficient range of pH and EC are shown in Table 1. The ideal
chances of algae growth in the reservoir. The hydroponics bucket EC range for most hydroponic crops lies between 1.5 and 2.5 dS/
system is a typical example of deep-water culture. m. Higher EC value will hinder nutrient absorption by roots of
the plants due to osmotic pressure, whereas the lower value of
EC will drastically affect the crop health and its yield. So, in order
2.5. NFT (Nutrient Film technique)
to improve plant health and yield, maintaining EC level can be
proved fruitful. pH value is used to determine the presence of
In order to overcome the shortcomings of the ebb and flow sys-
essential plant elements in a nutrient solution. The range of 5.5–
tem, Dr. Alen Cooper from England developed NFT (Nutrient Film
6.5 is considered the most effective pH range for optimum plant
Technique) in mid 1960 s. The nutrient solution is made to be cir-
development, but some plants can be an exception from this range.
culated through the entire system and enters the growth pipes
through a water pump without time control. The system is made
to be little inclined to make the nutrient solution run back into
the reservoir through the roots of the plants[8]. Although, there 5. Water conservation in hydroponic farming system
is a huge risk of fungal growth as roots are constantly dipped into
nutrient solutions. So, mainly green leafy vegetables are grown Due to the increasing population water available for human
commercially using this system, mainly for lettuce growth. consumption is decreasing because of the lack of sustainable devel-
opment. Due to increased load on groundwater, the water level is
3. Benefits & limitations of hydroponic system not able to recharge[12]. Water is one of the essential things
required for human existence, so that’s why we need to upgrade
The hydroponic farming system is coming into the limelight existing technologies and methods in order to reduce water con-
from the last few decades due to its easy and clean use and main- sumption so that the load on groundwater can be reduced. As we
tenance, and soil-borne infection is also totally avoidable. Due to are all aware, farming consumes a large amount of water, so we
no use of pesticides, their resulting toxicity is also eliminated. Time need to upgrade our technologies and conventional methods to
required by the yield grown through the hydroponic farming sys- conserve water and increase crop quality if possible. That’s where
tem is less than the Soil based farming techniques due to the com- the hydroponic farming system comes into play which reduces the
plete availability of nutrient solution only for plants and no water requirement by 70–80 % for the same amount of crop
mechanical hindrance to the roots[9]. This technique is beneficial produced.
in areas where unfavorable climatic conditions(extreme climates,
desert, etc) are observed, as the crops are grown through a hydro-
Table 1
ponic farming system is not affected by climatic change in anyway Optimum range of EC and pH value for hydroponics crops.
as we can create a suitable atmosphere inside the room; therefore, 1
Crops EC (dSm ) pH
any crop can be grown throughout the year and no crop is consid-
ered off-season. Additionally, hydroponic farming systems can Asparagus 1.4 to 1.8 6.0 to 6.8
African Violet 1.2 to 1.5 6.0 to 7.0
easily be made to operate automatically, which can significantly
Basil 1.0 to 1.6 5.5 to 6.0
reduce the labor required and eliminate many conventional pro- Bean 2.0 to 4.0 6.0
cesses such as weeding, spraying. Less water requirement is also Banana 1.8 to 2.2 5.5 to 6.5
considered one of the best benefits of hydroponic farming systems Broccoli 2.8 to 3.5 6.0 to 6.8
as there is no water logging and no sprays are required. We can Cabbage 2.5 to 3.0 6.5 to 7.0
Celery 1.8 to 2.4 6.5
also get higher yield with better quality as the number of plants Carnation 2.0 to 3.5 6.0
per unit is significantly higher compared to the Soil-based farming Courgettes 1.8 to 2.4 6.0
system. Although the hydroponic farming system is an amazing Cucumber 1.7 to 2.0 5.0 to 5.5
method of getting better yield, some limitations still exist. Hydro- Egg plant 2.5 to 3.5 6.0
Ficus 1.6 to 2.4 5.5 to 6.0
ponic farming requires a higher initial land cost, and the person
Leek 1.4 to 1.8 6.5 to 7.0
supervising the plants must have high technical knowledge. Risk Lettuce 1.2 to1.8 6.0 to 7.0
of water-borne diseases always exists as the same nutrient solu- Pak Choi 1.5 to 2.0 7.0
tion is circulated through all the plants[10]. So, if any one of the Peppers 0.8 to 1.8 5.5 to 6.0
is to catch a disease there is a potential risk of all the plants getting Parsley 1.8 to 2.2 6.0 to 6.5
Rhubarb 1.6 to 2.0 5.5 to 6.0
infected. Warm climate and inadequate oxygenation can limit the Rose 1.5 to 2.5 5.5 to 6.0
production of yield. Maintenance of pH, Electrical Conductivity, Spinach 1.8 to 2.3 6.0 to 7.0
Nutrient Concentration must be carefully checked. Light and Strawberry 1.8 to2.2 6.0
energy are needed in a protected structure to run the system Sage 1.0 to 1.6 5.5 to 6.5
Tomatto 2.0 to 4.0 6.0 to 6.5
properly.
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M Kannan, G Elavarasan, A Balamurugan et al.
Almost 70–80 % of water is absorbed deep into the Soil when we
supply water to the crops grown in land. In contrast, in the hydro-
ponic farming system, water is supplied directly to the roots of the
plants. Due to the use of plastic containers, there is no water loss
from any kind of absorption and as the containers are kept gener-
ally closed the evaporation of water is also reduced significantly.
When the nutrient solution needs to be changed inside the hydro-
ponic farming system the waste water can be used for the crop cul-
tivation where the concentration of nutrient required is less or
more nutrients can be added to the solution so that the same nutri-
ent solution is available again for the crops for their nourishment.
And also, the water sources like groundwater or dam/river water
may contain some contaminants that can affect crop yield. At the
same time, some of such factors may benefit the crops that need
to be maintained.
6. Conclusion
There are many soil-less farming systems available but the
increasing popularity of the hydroponic farming system is domi-
nating the food production. As we are all aware of the increasing
population it is not difficult to conclude the shortage of farming
land in the near future because of poor land management, there
will be no other alternative but to turn towards ways that can pro-
vide us with better quality and larger quantity of yield within
smaller area. To get a glimpse of near future, Tokyo can be seen
as an example due to its surging population, it is difficult to feed
the people through conventional methods, so in order to survive
the country has turned towards hydroponic rice production. The
rice is harvested in underground greenhouses without the need
for soil, and multistorey farming is also introduced to increase crop
production. Compared to the single harvest cycle of land cultiva-
tion, 4 harvest cycles can be obtained through hydroponic farming.
Hydroponic systems are also very successful in areas with dry and
arid climates such as Israel. In Israel, crops are grown inside the 40
feet long shipping containers using hydroponic system and the
maintenance of this structure is maintained by a company named
OrganiTech. OrganiTech grows a large number of citrus fruits,
bananas and berries, all of which cannot be grown in a country like
Israel. The hydroponic farming system can produce a yield of upto
1000X greater when compared to the yield on same area of soil-
based farming annually.
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Materials Today: Proceedings 68 (2022) 2163–2166
CRediT authorship contribution statement
M. Kannan: Conceptualization, Methodology. G. Elavarasan:
Methodology. A. Balamurugan: Data curation, Writing – original
draft. B. Dhanusiya: Supervision. D. Freedon: Writing – review &
editing.
Data availability
Data will be made available on request.
Declaration of Competing Interest
The authors declare the following financial interests/personal
relationships which may be considered as potential competing
interests: Kannan M reports was provided by SRM IST NCR Campus.
Kannan M reports a relationship with SRM IST NCR Campus that
includes: employment. Kannan M has patent NIL pending to NIL.
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