Design and Development of an ESP32-Based IoT System for Hydroponic Nutrient Monitoring and Control

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.67795/jesai.v1i1.8

Keywords:

ESP32, hydroponics, Internet of Things (IoT) , monitoring, nutrient control, ThingsBoard

Abstract

Nutrient solution monitoring and control are essential aspects of hydroponic cultivation because they directly influence plant growth. Conventional monitoring methods require continuous manual observation, making the cultivation process less efficient. This study aims to design and implement an Internet of Things (IoT)-based hydroponic nutrient monitoring and control system using an ESP32 microcontroller integrated with a Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) sensor, a pH sensor, and a DS18B20 temperature sensor. Measurement data are transmitted in real time to the ThingsBoard platform via the MQTT protocol, enabling remote monitoring and control through a web-based dashboard. The proposed system is also equipped with an automatic nutrient dosing mechanism using a peristaltic pump based on predefined nutrient concentration setpoints. Sensor performance was evaluated by comparing the measurement results with reference instruments and analyzed using statistical parameters, including the mean, standard deviation, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE), and mean error. The experimental results show that the DS18B20, TDS, and pH sensors achieved mean errors of 0.58%, 0.20%, and 1.75%, respectively, with RMSE values of 0.16 °C, 1.95 ppm, and 0.12 pH, indicating good agreement with the reference instruments. Furthermore, the system successfully performed real-time monitoring of nutrient solution parameters, executed automatic nutrient control according to the programmed control logic, and stored and exported monitoring data to Microsoft Excel. These results demonstrate that the proposed system operates as intended and is suitable for real-time hydroponic nutrient monitoring and control applications based on the Internet of Things (IoT).

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Published

2026-07-31