Assessing the Influence of a Rotating Indoor Vertical Farm System on Iceberg Lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata L.) Growth, Quality, and Yield in Aeroponic Horticulture

• Main Authors: Chua, Maeveley Dayne T., Adviento, Mozart Rhyme O., Lichangco, Reuel Cedric A., Lim, Martin Anthony L.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2023
• Subjects: urban agriculture; vertical farming; aeroponic systems; aeroponic atomizers; iceberg lettuce; cylindrical rotary systems
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/conf_shsrescon/2023/paper_see/10; https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/context/conf_shsrescon/article/1804/viewcontent/SEE_Adviento_Chua_Lichangco_Lim___Reuel_Cedric_Lichangco.docx.pdf
• Institution: De La Salle University

Global climate challenges must be mitigated by the agricultural sector, which can be addressed through sustainable food production methods. The Philippines faces food scarcity and resource strain, which serves as the context of this study. To further improve sustainability in food production, this research uses low-pressure aeroponic atomizers to analyze the growth of Iceberg lettuce (Lactuca sativa var. capitata L.) in a rotating vertical aeroponic system. A vertically stacked system was utilized, wherein the study assessed the advantages of utilizing a rotating mechanism in vertical aeroponic systems. An experimental group was tested in a rotating set-up, and a control group was tested in a non-rotating set-up with various physical parameters and measuring instrument parameters measured. Statistical analysis showed a longer leaf length (17.2cm ±1.4), root length (12.8cm ±1.9), and a higher number of leaves (7.4 ±0.6) using the rotating set-up, providing a significant difference. The two aeroponic systems had no significant temperature, humidity, or power consumption differences. However, daily power consumption measured in a 24-hour interval was higher in the rotating set-up (0.63 kWh) compared to the non-rotating set-up (0.52 kWh). Results also showed greater light intensity levels in the rotating set-up (1491.5 lux ±50.4) compared to the non-rotating set-up (1200.8 lux ±43.1) with significant results. Using the rotating vertical aeroponic set-up was better overall, and future experimentation is recommended with different cultivation methods and crop variations to enhance applicability.