First advances on the development of a hydroponic system for cherry tomato culture

Advances in the development of a hydroponic system for the cherry tomato culture based on the nutrient film technique are presented. The monitoring parameters for the nutritious hydroponic solution are the pH and the electrical conductivity. Sensors and conditioning circuits were designed and implemented to monitor such parameters. The physical irrigation system based on PVC tubing was designed and is presented as well. Preliminary results showed high accuracy on pH measurements with a correlation coefficient of 0.994 for expected values and a standard deviation of 0.01 after repeated measurements. The final goal is the integration of the developed sensors and circuits into a full control greenhouse system for a simple, easy to use and low cost soilless culture platform.