CONSTRUCTION AND EVALUATION OF HYDROPONIC SYSTEM USING PET

BOTTLE IN THE CULTIVATION OF LETTUCE

JONNA MAE U. VALZADO

MICHELLE B. VERDE

A Thesis Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of Agriculture and Biosystems

Engineering, Capiz State University Burias Campus
in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements
for the Degree of

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS ENGINEERING

JUNE 2022
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Hydroponics is the art of gardening without soil. It is the growing of plants in a

liquid nutrient solution with or without the use of artificial media. The common media used

include expanded clay pellets, peat coir, perlite, vermiculite, brick shards, polystyrene packing

peanuts and wood fiber. Hydroponics is a viable method of producing vegetables, foliage plants

and other crops. The demand for locally grown produce has risen dramatically. Growing these

crops hydroponically is a very efficient means of meeting that demand.

Due to rapid urbanization and industrialization not only the cultivable land is decreasing

but also conventional agricultural practices causing a wide range of negative impacts on the

environment. To sustainably feed the world’s growing population, methods for growing

sufficient food have to evolve. Modification in growth medium is an alternative for sustainable

production and to conserve fast depleting land and available water resources.

In the present scenario, soil less might be commenced successfully and considered as

alternative option for growing healthy food plants, crops or vegetables(Butler and oebker,

2006). Agriculture without soil includes hydro agriculture (Hydroponics), aqua agriculture

(Aquaponics) and aerobic agriculture (Aeroponics) as well as substrate culture. Among therse

hydroponics techniques is gaining popularity because of its efficient management of resources and

food production. Various commercial and specialty crops can be grown using

hydroponics including leafy vegetables, tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, and many more.

Hydroponics are Better Space Allocation, No Soil Needed For Hydroponics,

Hydroponics Saves Water, Climate Control, Plants Grow Faster And Larger With Hydroponics,
More Control Over pH, No Weeds, Pests, or Disease, Hydroponics Is Less Labor Intensive,

Weather Is Not A Problem.

One important hydroponic technique used is the Non-Circulating hydroponic method or

the kratky method. The Kratky method of hydroponic is the simplest and easiest way to grow

more leafy greens. No pumps, bubblers, wicks, or timers required. A reservoir, usually a simple

plastic container, is filled with a mixture of water and hydroponic nutrients. A lid sits atop the

reservoir between the surface of the water and the lid is a gap of air. Seedlings of your favourite

fruit or vegetable are placed into a hydroponic growing medium inside of a net cup. The net cup

is placed in a hole on the lid so just the bottom of the cup is touching the liquid inside. Though

krakty method is referred to as “plant and leave” method, thus is not always the case especially

for optimum crop production where frequent water level and quality monitoring is required.

With the increasing concerns in plastic bottle recycling, the krakty method have been

modified using individual plastic bottle. Again, the method is limited to small scale production

and requires often refilling of water thus causing plant not disturbance. Stagnant water in this

technique has also resulted to unfavourable water condition, thus draining is likewise required.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is one of the most commonly grown hydroponic vegetables.

Because of the capital-intensive nature of hydroponics, growers should grow only those crops

with a high economic value and the qualities in demand for the intended market.

To enable commercial-scale production of lettuce using Non-Circulating bottle

hydroponic method, a system that will enable monitoring/refilling of water is imperative.

 Objectives of the study

The general objective of the study is to construct a hydroponic system using pet bottle and

evaluate its performance in the cultivation of lettuce. Specifically, this study aims to:

1. Design a pet bottle hydroponics for the cultivation of lettuce,

2. Evaluate the performance of the system on the cultivation of lettuce in terms of crop

performance, water consumption and economics of production of the system; and

3. To determine investment analysis in using the system.

Scope and delimitation of the study

This study will be limited to the construction of hydroponic system using pet bottles and

evaluate its performance on the growth of lettuce in terms of root length, plant height, number of

leaves, leaf area and weight of lettuce at harvest. The data will be gathered after harvesting.

Investment analysis will be computed in terms of Return on Investment, payback period and

break-even point.

Time and place of the study

This study will be conducted at the laboratory building of the Department of Agricultural

and Biosystem Engineering, Burias Campus, Burias, Mambusao, Capiz from April 1, 2022 to

April 30, 2022.

Definition of Terms

To ensure clarity and understanding, the following terms are use in this study are

operationally defined as follows:

 Area of the leaves refers to the length measured from the petiole up to the tip of the leaf

multiplied by the width of the leaf measured perpendicular to its midrib.

Coco peat or coconut fibre is a natural fibre extracted from the outer husk of coconut

and used in products such as floor mats, doormats, brushes and mattresses. Coir is the fibrous

material found between the hard, internal shell and the outer coat of a coconut. It will serve as

growing media in the system.

Crop yield refers to the weight of marketable of lettuce at harvest in grams.

Flexible hose is a type of piping that can transport a variety of liquids and gases through

it to other location. A hose is created from soft, plastic material. Rubber is one of the most

common materials used to make hoses due to its flexible nature. Flexible hose will serve as

passage of water.

Growing channel are the 1.5L coca cola bottles and plastic cups.

Growing media are materials that plant grow in. We mostly use soil as the growing

medium in traditional cultivation. But in hydroponic, we are not limited to just soil.

Growth refers to the measurement of hydroponically grown lettuce in terms of height,

number of leaves, area of the leaves and root length.

Hydroponics is the art of gardening without soil. Hydroponics is a Latin word meaning

“working water.” In the absence of soil, water goes to work providing nutrients, hydration, and

oxygen to plant life.

 Krakty method is a passive hydroponic technique for growing plants suspended above a

reservoir of nutrient-rich water. In this study, this is the method to be used to grow lettuce.

Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) is an annual plant of the daisy family, Asteraceae. It is most

often grown as a leaf vegetable, but sometimes for its stem and seeds. Lettuce is most often used

for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of food, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it

can also be grilled. In this study, it is the plant that will be grow in the system.

Loctite Epoxy Marine is a two-part system consisting of an epoxy resin and a hardener.

When mixed in equal volumes, the resin and hardener react to produce a tough, rigid, high

strength bond in 120 minutes. It can be applied and cured underwater. This will be used to stick

pipes to the tank and 1.5L bottles to prevent leakage of nutrient solutions.

Number of leaves refers to the number of leaves counted after harvest.

Pet bottle is a bottle constructed from high-density or low density plastic. 1.5L bottles of

coca cola are used in this study serve as growing channel together with pipes.

Plant height refers to the height of lettuce from the base of the stem up to the longest.

Plastic cup is a cup made out of plastic. It is most commonly used as a container to hold

beverage. Will serve as growing medium in the system. Thirty (30) liter containers will serve

as nutrient solution tank. It will holds the nutrient solutions that will be delivered to the plants

through human intervention if plants needs more nutrients.

Root length refers to the length of roots from base of the stem up to the tip of the longest

root.