The main problem in developing reliable and economically feasible solutions for aquaponics is combining aquaculture (the farming of fish) and hydroponics (the growing of plants without soil). The purpose of this chapter is to aid in the development of a workable commercial aquaponics system. Additionally, it looks at the internet of things (IoT) and smart systems in the literature. For the purpose of real-time monitoring and physical system control in an aquaponics system, an application that uses digital twinning is created. A tool that models the relationship between crop size and fresh weight, and then estimates crop size as it grows, using image segmentation is suggested. The various parameters of the aquaponics system and the sensors used in the IoT and digital twin framework system are demonstrated. The controlling strategies, various smart technologies, and implementation procedures are also illustrated.
TopIntroduction
Due to its ability to conserve resources, as well as its high efficiency and low consumption, aquaponics has gained increasing attention. Symbiotically cultivating aquatic organisms and plants is known as aquaponics. Aquatic creatures emit waste, which bacteria subsequently break down into nutrients that plants can absorb to develop. The aquaponics system has successfully addressed the issue of environmental pollution by realising the change from waste to nutrients. Future low-carbon production methods will include aquaponics because it is circular, efficient, and intensive. It has less of an influence on the environment and mimics natural systems, where water efficiency is greatly boosted. In 2018, acute hunger affected more than 113 million people in 53 countries, necessitating immediate food, nutrition, and livelihood assistance (IPC/CH Phase 3 or above). The world's current food needs cannot be met by using more natural resources or exploiting the land. Instead, we must seek out sustainable answers that support the production and consumption of food (Kumar et al., 2023).
At least 43 countries throughout the world already practise aquaponics; however, 84 percent of those who do so do so as a hobby. Aquaponics' effective development could ensure a significant portion of a more sustainable world food supply. If it spreads widely as a commercial alternative, it will be successful in assisting the food issue and global sustainability. An aquaponic system's design and administration are challenging tasks. Because it is a greenhouse and a symbiotic habitat, a variety of characteristics and elements (such as light, temperature, pH, moisture, etc.) must be managed. Due to their many parts and requirements, such as disease prevention and water purity, these systems are highly complex. A new window has opened up for the advancement of these aquaponics systems with the introduction of automation, smart farming practises, and networking in the agricultural sector. Smart automation is predicted to reduce the amount of manual labour required significantly and improve process management. It appears appropriate to continue working on the creation of tools and frameworks for precision farming as aquaponics gains popularity as a farming technique. The ideas listed above (sensing, automation, etc.)
This analysis is based on a review of the literature on aquaponic monitoring, smart systems, and IoT systems. The goal of this study is to compile the existing understanding and methods for aquaponic farming monitoring systems. Few publications have been made in the literature, so certain hydroponic systems were analysed to supplement the data. The authors of a new book on aquaponics hope to lay the groundwork for the commercial introduction of automation in the industry (Sathyanarayana et al., 2022). Frameworks and methods for smart cities and IoT are offered. We also talk about some potential applications for aquaculture and hydroponics in the future. The schematic arrangements of the aquaponic system are shown in Figure 1.
Figure 1. Aquaponics cultivation system
TopMonitoring Parameters
Depending on the system, a different method may be used to measure the repeating parameters. A pH sensing system, for example, could include pH test strips, freestanding sensors with an LCD panel, or analogue sensors that can transfer data wirelessly or not to a controller (PLC, microcontroller, etc.). Automated sensing approaches need to be assessed with the goal of building a dependable, sustainable, and financially viable system. The stability of the aquaponics system depends on the environment and machinery being monitored and controlled by intelligent technologies. Aquaponics systems of many kinds, particularly coupled and decoupled systems, have been designed, used, and described over time. For the aforementioned aquaponics systems, Figure 2 summarises the connections between the sensors and parameters. Each parameter is described in detail along with its function in aquaponic systems in the subsections that follow. Following that, a description of how writers measured, employed, and controlled them is provided (Calone & Orsini, 2022).