Design and Development of a Smart Climate Monitoring System for Pakcoy Cultivation in Vertikal Hydroponic Smart Greenhouse

Abstract

Vertical cultivation is an alternative form of sustainable agriculture for areas with limited land availability. This study aims to design and develop an ESP32-based temperature and relative humidity (RH) monitoring system, evaluate its performance, and analyze the growth of pakcoy plants in a smart-climate greenhouse. The research employed an experimental method through field trials conducted in a 4×3 m greenhouse using a vertical hydroponic system. The study utilized DHT22 sensors to measure air temperature and humidity, and an LDR sensor to monitor light intensity, with a total of 96 pakcoy plant samples. Observed parameters included air temperature, air humidity, light intensity, plant height, number of leaves, and root length.

The results show that the automated system was able to monitor and control greenhouse environmental conditions in real time. Calibration of the DHT22 sensor produced an RMSE value of 2.17 for temperature and 3.67 for air humidity, while the LDR sensor showed an RMSE of 6.14 lux. Daytime temperatures inside the greenhouse reached up to 42.3°C, with humidity levels ranging from 60% to 100%. Light intensity inside the greenhouse was lower than outside, particularly during midday. Plant growth results indicate that the controlled temperature treatment produced better plant height and leaf number, with a maximum height of 24.86 cm and up to 15 leaves. In contrast, the greenhouse treatment resulted in the highest root length, with an average of 30.98 cm. The ESP32-based monitoring system demonstrated satisfactory accuracy, and the implementation of a controlled climate in the greenhouse positively affected root growth, but was less optimal for plant height and leaf development.