2 engineer brothers from the Turkish city of Hatay, who now reside in Mersin, have created a remotely operated device that boosts hydroponic farming productivity. To create a system that boosts hydroponic agricultural production and growth rates while lowering labor costs, mechanical engineer Halil Ercan Altintas and his older brother, electrical and electronics engineer Erkan Altintas, undertook extensive research. The Altintas brothers worked together to create a remotely controllable automation system that boosts output after watching an educational film about hydroponic farming.
The method, which uses a drip pump to supply water and nutrients to crops grown on shelves, is being demonstrated by the engineer brothers at the "International Agriculture and Livestock Fair" in Erzurum, which is attended by participants from 21 different countries.
Erkan Altintas also built the software for the device. "We designed an automation system that controls all parameters, such as humidity and carbon dioxide, in a fully enclosed environment," Altintas explained, describing the system as both domestic and national. "We provide the plant with all the vitamins and light it requires with this technique. The plant is growing to its fullest potential."
According to Altintas, they are working to introduce the system to other growers and are not reliant on outside funding.
"I tested it at home after seeing the video. This is where I asked myself, 'How can I do this better?' We have created the software for our sophisticated remote monitoring systems. We are always enhancing and expanding our research and development efforts. By using the technology, we can keep an eye on the plant, troubleshoot any issues right away, and boost output. The project's objective is to make this effective tool available to our growers so they can produce more efficiently and they can produce higher quality products so that our country's agricultural production improves both domestically and abroad."
Halil Ercan Altintas clarified that to provide the required light requirements, they manufacture unique LED bulbs and added that they use these bulbs to boost harvests and quicken growth.
"External influences can also have an impact on hydroponic greenhouse production, although not for our system. All year long, we maintain the same production temperatures and humidity levels. We can produce year-round without the use of pesticides, and our harvest yields are 30–40% higher than others. We planted our crops at our R&D facility in Mersin before coming here. Our facility has been running fully automatically for 3-4 days, with no contact with the plant. We monitor the system's performance by checking its values. The system operates at a certain humidity level, and if it detects a drop, the humidifier activates and adjusts the humidity to the predetermined level. We reclaim 95% of the water and nutrients in the system. This is beneficial because we recycle water when water is scarce, making it more efficient. With our system, we offer growers a high-quality, pesticide-free facility with reduced labor costs."
Source: AA
