Hydroponics Review and a Proposed Automated Hydroponics System for Urban Family

Abstract

The world population is increasing rapidly and will become three billion more in 2050 than there were in 2010. To feed these huge populations sustainably with quality food by 2050, it is necessary to implement new-fashioned technologies in agriculture that would be capable of producing more food with less space and time. To mitigate future food crises, hydroponics farming which is a soilless crop-growing method, could be a possible solution as it requires less space, water, and time compared to traditional soil-based cultivation. Implementation of modern technologies like the Internet of Things (IoT), automation, artificial intelligence (AI), robotics, etc. in hydroponics systems, makes it more effective and robust. In this review article, we have briefly discussed hydroponics farming methods and technologies used in hydroponics cultivation, and the importance of hydroponics farming for sustainable food production shortly to meet the upcoming food crisis. We have also discussed the nutrient management technique and various nutritional and environmental factors that should be considered and handled carefully for successful hydroponics farming. Finally, we have proposed an automated hydroponics system that can be implemented to meet the daily needs of vegetables and leafy greens for urban families, which may assist in solving a small portion of future food crises as 75% of the world's population will live in urban settlements in 2050.