IoT-Based Hydroponic Plant Grow Cabinet

Abstract

As the strain on food systems increases due to population growth and climate change, sustainable farming practices have become essential. By giving plants nutrient-rich water in regulated conditions, hydroponics provides an effective soilless method. An ESP32 microcontroller-based IoT-based hydroponic plant growing cabinet is presented in this paper. Temperature, humidity, water level, pH, and total dissolved solids (TDS) are among the important parameters that the system tracks. Real-time data transmission to a cloud platform allows for remote control and analysis. The ideal conditions for plant growth are maintained by automated processes like light regulation, nutrient dosing, and water circulation. Significant water savings, low latency, and dependable performance are all displayed by the suggested system. Sustainable urban agriculture is supported by the precise environmental management made possible by the IoT\'s integration with hydroponics.

Introduction

Modern agriculture faces constraints like limited arable land, water scarcity, and seasonal variability. Hydroponics addresses these issues by delivering nutrients directly to plant roots in a soil-free system, optimizing resource use. Integrating the Internet of Things (IoT) enables automated monitoring and management of hydroponic environments, improving plant growth and reducing labor and waste.

This study presents a compact Hydroponic Plant Growing Cabinet using an ESP32 microcontroller with built-in Wi-Fi/Bluetooth, linked to sensors for temperature, humidity, pH, TDS, water level, and light intensity. Actuators, including pumps, solenoid valves, LED grow lights, and fans, automatically adjust environmental conditions based on sensor data. Data is uploaded to cloud platforms (Blynk or ThingSpeak) for remote monitoring, real-time alerts, and user control via mobile or web interfaces.

Experiments with leafy vegetables demonstrated that the system maintained optimal conditions, enabling healthier and faster plant growth compared to uncontrolled environments. The modular design allows future enhancements, such as AI-driven nutrient prediction, renewable energy integration, computer vision for growth monitoring, and custom mobile applications for analytics and cloud backup.

Conclusion

The presented Hydroponic Plant Growing Cabinet enabled with IoT provides a financially responsible and efficient smart farming option. The user can monitor and study the temperature, humidity, water level, and nutrient quality in real time with the ESP32 supporting microcontroller. The experimental results show reasonable plant growth with efficient resource consumption. The integration of IoT with hydroponics is a viable approach to address sustainable farm practices in urban communities and educational research.

References

[1] Fadillah, F., Buaton, R., & Ramadani, S. (2022). IoT-based Hydroponic Plant Monitoring System. Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Engineering Applications (JAIEA), 3(1). DOI: 10.59934/jaiea.v3i1.255. Available at: https://ioinformatic.org/index.php/JAIEA/article/view/255 [2] Untoro, M. C., & Hidayah, F. R. (2023). IoT-Based Hydroponic Plant Monitoring and Control System to Maintain Plant Fertility. INTEK: Jurnal Penelitian, 9(1). DOI: 10.31963/intek.v9i1.3407. Available at: https://jurnal.poliupg.ac.id/index.php/Intek/article/view/3407 [3] Author(s) unknown. (2023). Design of a Smart Hydroponics Monitoring System Using an ESP32 Microcontroller and the Internet of Things. MethodsX. PubMed ID: 37817981. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37817981

Copyright

Copyright © 2025 Mr. Sumit Uttam Walvekar, Mr. Soham Kiran Patil, Mr. Pruthwiraj Krishnat Gadgil, Mr. Krushna Kailas Shenvi, Ms. Shraddha Shital Ladage. This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.