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A Novel Multi-Floor Hexagonal Design for the Commercial Hydroponic Production of the Loose-Leaf Lettuce Oscarde (Asteraceae Lactuca Sativa L.)

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A Novel Multi-Floor Hexagonal Design for the Commercial Hydroponic Production of the Loose-Leaf Lettuce Oscarde (Asteraceae Lactuca Sativa L.) A NOVEL MULTI-FLOOR HEXAGONAL DESIGN FOR THE COMMERCIAL HYDROPONIC PRODUCTION OF THE LOOSE-LEAF LETTUCE OSCARDE (ASTERACEAE LACTUCA SATIVA L.) A GRADUATION PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING OF NEAR EAST UNIVERSITY By AHMAD SABRI AMMAR In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering Department NICOSIA, 2017 i A NOVEL MULTI-FLOOR HEXAGONAL DESIGN FOR THE COMMERCIAL HYDROPONIC PRODUCTION OF THE LOOSE-LEAF LETTUCE OSCARDE (ASTERACEAE LACTUCA SATIVA L.) A GRADUATION PROJECT REPORT SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF BIOENGINEERING OF NEAR EAST UNIVERSITY By AHMAD SABRI AMMAR In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for The Degree of Bachelor of Science in Bioengineering Department NICOSIA, 2017 ii iii DECLARATION I hereby declare that all information in this document has been obtained and presented in accordance with academic rules and ethical conduct. I also declare that, as required by these rules and conduct, I have fully cited and referenced all material and results that are not original to this work. Name, Last name: Signature: Date: i ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am immensely grateful to my supervisor Nwekwo Chidi for being incredibly patient, encouraging, and motivating throughout the completion of this graduation project. I thank him for his assistance, guidance, and insightful comments that greatly improved the manuscript. I would like to acknowledge with gratitude, the active support and motivation of Assoc. Prof. Dr., Terin Adalı, Near East University. Additionally, I am eternally grateful to my high school teachers for their dedication and diligent work to share their pearls of wisdom and knowledge with me. It behooves me to include a special note of thanks to my parents and my brother for their inspiring motivation and unceasing support throughout my undergraduate studies. I am earnestly forever thankful for their dedication. Mere acknowledgement may not redeem the debt I owe to you for words cannot describe your unconditional love and fidelity. Finally, I would like to extend my appreciation and gratitude to those who could not be mentioned here but were a precious and invaluable source of inspiration and assistance towards the fruitful and timely completion of this project. ii ABSTRACT Tremendous amount of research has been conducted in the field of hydroponic systems. Recent research has given rise to new production techniques that are more efficient and self-sustainable than contemporary agricultural plant production practices which leave a negative footprint on the environment. Henceforth, hydroponic systems are emerging as a new technology that could potentially suffice the deficit in agricultural production and supersede conventional agriculture as the primary producer of vegetables. Hydroponic production is becoming an attractive frontier for investors and plethora of studies revealed the benefits of hydroponic systems. The major advantage of hydroponic systems is the tight control over plants’ growth environment. That is, to reach the optimum production capacity, several parameters should be vigilantly controlled and monitored. In this report, the production of Lettuce Oscarde was divided into two stages, the germination and transplantation stages. The Germination of lettuce will incorporate the use of Nutrient Film Technique whereas the production of lettuce will incorporate the novel multi-floor hexagonal design. One Module involved in the production stage will resemble a hexagonal prism. The honeycomb-like structure of the stacked hexagonal prisms will conserve space and increase production. An overview of a production facility with the capacity to germinate as much as 223,200,000 seeds and produce as much as 168,407,424 plants was described. Keywords: Agriculture; Hydroponics; Lettuce Oscarde; Nutrient Film Technique; Hexagonal Prism Modules; Germination Chamber; Production Chamber; Transplantation; Nutrient Solution iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ........................................................................................................................ ii ABSTRACT .............................................................................................................................................. iii TABLE OF CONTENTS ........................................................................................................................ iv LIST OF TABLES ................................................................................................................................... xi LIST OF FIGURES ................................................................................................................................ xii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND SYMBOLS ................................................................................. xvi CHAPTER 1 .............................................................................................................................................. 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 2 .............................................................................................................................................. 5 INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................ 5 2.1. Overview of Industrial Agriculture .................................................................................... 5 2.2. Disadvantages of Some Cultivation Techniques ............................................................... 5 2.2.1. Monoculture ............................................................................................................ 6 2.2.2. Continuous Cropping .............................................................................................. 6 2.2.3. Conventional Tillage ............................................................................................... 7 2.2.4. Intensive Hillside Cultivation .................................................................................. 7 2.3. Effects of Industrial Agricultural Practices........................................................................ 8 2.3.1. Decline in Soil Fertility ........................................................................................... 8 2.3.2. Increased Greenhouse Gases Emissions .................................................................. 8 2.3.4. Deterioration of Human Health ............................................................................. 10 2.4. Limitations and Drawbacks ............................................................................................. 10 iv 2.4.1. Finite Arable Land ................................................................................................. 10 2.4.2. Scarcity of Water ................................................................................................... 11 2.4.3. Use of Pesticides ................................................................................................... 11 2.4.4. Use of Fertilizers ................................................................................................... 11 2.4.5. Mismanagement of Irrigation Systems .................................................................. 11 CHAPTER 3 ............................................................................................................................................ 13 HYDROPONIC AGRICULTURE ........................................................................................................ 13 3.1. Overview of Hydroponic Agriculture .............................................................................. 13 3.2. Growing Techniques ........................................................................................................ 14 3.2.1. Vertical Farming Systems ..................................................................................... 15 3.2.2. Wick Hydroponic System ..................................................................................... 15 3.2.3. Nutrient Film Technique ....................................................................................... 16 3.2.4. Ebb and Flow Hydroponic System ........................................................................ 17 3.2.5. Drip Irrigation Hydroponic System ....................................................................... 18 3.2.6. Aeroponic Hydroponic System ............................................................................. 19 3.2.7. Aquaponics ............................................................................................................ 20 3.2.8. The Deep-Water Culture System .......................................................................... 21 3.3. Benefits of Hydroponic Agriculture ................................................................................ 22 3.3.1. Reduction in Costs ................................................................................................. 22 3.3.2. Healthy and Fresh Produce .................................................................................... 23 3.3.3. Independence of Soil ............................................................................................. 23 3.3.4. Nutrient Availability and Recycling ...................................................................... 23 3.3.5. Water Conservation ..............................................................................................
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