Increasing the nutrient-use efficiency and crop productivity of hydroponics using smart sensors and 3D-multispectral crop imaging

Traditionally, hydroponic growers manage the nutrient concentration of their hydroponic solutions using electrical conductivity (EC), with the EC of the solution indicating the sum of all ions within the solution, which lacks accuracy of individual nutrient and real-time control . The development of ion-selective electrodes (ISE) which are able to measure macro-elemental availability solution (including N,P,K, Ca, Mg, S, Cl) in hydroponic nutrient solution in real-time, allows for precision management of individual elements throughout a crop growth cycle. Combining ISEs with SMART environmental sensory data includes (Temperature, humidity, light intensity) and highthroughput multi-spectral 3D scanning technology (Phenospex PlantEye) to phenotype crop performance, this project aims to study the effect of macro-element availability on crop growth to develop precision management strategies, allowing for the optimization of hydroponic nutrient management under fluctuating environmental conditions to reduce chemical input and increase crop yield, quality and nutritional value.