St.

Theresa’s College, Quezon City

Junior High School Department
116 D. Tuazon Avenue, Quezon City
A.Y. 2020 – 2021

A Study on the Growth of Lactuca sativa

using Hydroponic System and Soil Based System

Researched by:

6 Buenconsejo, Gianina Andrea G.

7 – 5 Sr. Amelia David, ICM

Submitted in partial fulfillment

of the requirements in Science Research Class
To the Junior High School Department of
St. Theresa’s College, Quezon City
SY 2020 – 2021

February 28, 2021

Ms. Lovelene G. Chua

 TABLE OF CONTENTS

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

ABSTRACT

LIST OF FIGURES

Figure 1: Soil-Based Plant 1 Data and Results

Figure 2: Soil-Based Plant 2 Data and Results

Figure 3: Soil-Based Plant 3 Data and Results

Figure 4: Soil-Based Plant 4 Data and Results

Figure 5: Soil-Based Plant 5 Data and Results

Figure 6: Water-Based Plant 1 Data and Results

Figure 7: Water-Based Plant 2 Data and Results

Figure 8: Water-Based Plant 3 Data and Results

Figure 9: Water-Based Plant 4 Data and Results

Figure 10: Water-Based Plant 5 Data and Results

Figure 11: Traditional Plant System versus Hydroponics:

Height Progression

ii
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

Illustration 1: Typical Lettuce: Lactuca sativa

Illustration 2: Stages in the Life Cycle of Lactuca Sativa

Illustration 3: Lettuce: Lactuca Sativa Profile

Illustration 4: Conceptual Framework

CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Statement of the Problem

Significance of the Study

Scope and Limitations

CHAPTER 2: REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Related Literature

Conceptual Framework

Hypothesis

Definition of Terms

CHAPTER 3: METHODOLOGY

Experimental Conditions

Materials and Equipment

Experimentation

iii
 Data Gathering and Collection

CHAPTER 4: PRESENTATION, INTERPRETATION & ANALYSIS OF DATA

CHAPTER 5: SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS & RECOMMENDATIONS

Summary of Findings

Conclusion

Recommendation

REFERENCES

APPENDIX

iv
 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am grateful for the guidance of my teacher, Ms. Lovelene G. Chua.

I would have not been able to complete this endeavor without the help of my parents, Julius Neil

C. Buenconsejo and Rosemarie G. Buenconsejo and my aunt Irene L. Gardiner, MD.

My outmost appreciation for all the help you have extended to me that led to the completion of

this research paper.

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 ABSTRACT

As the global population is projected to reach almost 10 billion by year 2050, millions are facing

critical food shortages due to climate-induced occurrences in the form of floods, droughts, and

extreme temperatures. It is expected that the demand for food products will rise exponentially that

could result in worldwide food crisis. Traditional farming could not cope up with the current

demand, thus, alternative farming technologies, such as vertical or hydroponics farming, could

mitigate the impending food shortages. This research paper studied two sustainable planting

techniques namely: the soil-based (traditional) and water-based (hydroponics) farming systems to

evaluate the best method that can meet the worldwide food demand. The Lactuca Sativa (Lettuce)

seeds were used as the control plant and were studied for twenty days in a controlled environment.

The variables monitored were pH, number of leaves, number of shoots and plant height. The final

results showed that the water-based technique had the better yield in terms of growth production

since the Lettuce plant grew almost half as much than traditional soil-based system. Data showed

that the planting technique has no significant effect on the number of leaves and number of shoots,

whereas pH levels somehow contributed to the plant’s longevity.

Keywords: Lactuca sativa, hydroponics, soil less farming

vi
 CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Food shortage has always been in the agenda of governments around the world. It is

estimated that by year 2050, the global population will reach around 10 billion people, each of

whom is estimated to consume food for an average of 12% more than they did in year 2000,

according to United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization.

Although researches and studies have indicated impending food insecurity in the

foreseeable future, authorities have not taken plans and mitigations to avoid food crisis. The

unexpected pandemic caused by Covid-19 wreaked havoc and exposed weaknesses in the world’s

food supply chain.

With increasing population, the problem seems to be evident on how to feed the additional

1.5 billion people decades later, thus, finding a sustainable solution is the way to go. There may

be several approaches that will be made up of multiple solutions but soil less farming might play

a huge part of it, particularly the hydroponics farming.

What is Hydroponics?

1
 Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil in nutrient-rich water. Although

not commonly used in today’s agricultural cultivation, this farming technique had been used as far

back as the year 600 B.C.E. in Western Asia, where Arabian Peninsula, Iran and Mesopotamia are

geographically located, particularly the city of Babylon (part of modern day Iraq).

And while the large swaths of land in the area were mostly deserts and climate temperatures

can be very high at times, the city boasts a lush greenery known as the “Hanging Garden of

Babylon” that was believed to be supported by hydroponic system connected to the Euphrates

River, the longest and most important source of water in the region.

Due to this, many scientists believed that this technology might be the most sustainable

and renewable way of farming that would mitigate the demand for food consumption in the near

future.

For one, there are many advantages of using this technology such as;

• Soil – less – which means there is no need to use large swaths of lands to grow crops, that

is a limitation for traditional farming

• Water Conservation – the water can re-used since there is nutrient reservoir that serves as

the conservation container.

• Weather – Proof – like in traditional agriculture, changes in weather patterns such as

storms, drought etc. drastically affect the output of the crops.

2
 • Indoor – aside from being weather proof, crops can also be cultivated anytime of the year,

making it a very sustainable alternative.

Given the hosts of benefits that hydroponics technology, this technique could be the future

of sustainable and renewable farming that could find its way to every household and every corner

of the world.

Statement of the Problem

Related to the problem of producing sufficient food source is having ample land, water and

other natural resources (which are continuously depleting) to ensure constant supply. Several

researches have established that hydroponics have many advantages compared to the traditional

soil-based farming including faster growth in any given period of time (Somerville, 2014);

however, there are still limitations when utilizing this method (Samangooei et.al, 2016).

For one, the hydroponic system required planting skills and ample knowledge and

principles on how to sustain the circular closed system; knowledge on how water quality affects

the growth of plants, and factors such as the pH, electrical conductivity and water temperature are

among the variables to look into for a successful hydroponic growing operation (Treftz, 2015).

And given the current situation, the key objective of this experiment is to discover a practical

small-scale system that could supplement current and future demand of sustainable food crops

using renewable techniques in farming. This research answered the following questions:

- How different will Lactuca sativa grow using hydroponics system compared to soil-based

farming?

3
 - How will pH affect the growth of Lactuca sativa in hydroponics system versus the

traditional farming?

Significance of the Study

Hydroponics is an efficient one system producing sustainable produce that cold mitigate

the impending food shortage. Moreover, hydroponics is typically a closed system when it comes

water consumption, because it uses recirculating water, which means it utilizes least amount of

water and can be built in arid environment that has minimal water. Lastly, hydroponics is a model

for sustainable and renewable food production because it is a closed integrated system that recycles

all of the materials it uses.

The study aimed to produce and cultivate vegetables, particularly Lactuca sativa, in the

household using simple materials as set-up, which ultimately may add to the supply of vegetables

that are home-grown.

Scope and Limitation of the Study

The study only used Lactuca sativa, particularly lollo bionda commonly known as coral

lettuce seeds. For germination, ten seeds were used for the hydroponics and ten seeds were used

for the soil-based method. Five set-ups for each method were utilized and observed. Observation

of the set-ups was done consecutively for twenty days. The factors analyzed were the acidity of

the water and the soil, and the growth of the plants in length, the number of leaves and shoots.

4
Both planting systems individually followed the established and conventional procedures for

setting up the experimental design to represent actual farming cultivation environment.

CHAPTER 2

REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Prior the pandemic year 2020, the United Nations Organization (UN) projected the world

population to reach 9.7 billion by 2050, and while the food production increased by 110% to

augment the high demand, numerous countries are confronting food security issues in very poor

regions such as Africa (United Nations, 2017). Assuming the demand for food remains unchanged,

the current food crisis situation is expected to last for another 30 years - that is until Covid-19

pandemic disrupted the global food balance and food supply chain (Udmale et.al. 2020).

Appalled by the impending rise in food insecurity brought about by the Covid-19

pandemic, there is global consensus among nations and governments to keep the food supply chain

intact and accessible despite border restrictions and lockdowns (World Bank, 2020). The current

situation exposed the vulnerability of the supply chain and forced countries to re-think its strategy

about sustainability by tapping into renewable resources for a sustainable food production.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, sustainable food production

necessitates the development of sustainable food value chains in order to offer innovative pathways

out of poverty such as: local value addition through local processing, and linking farmers directly

to higher-value export markets (UNEP, 2020). Although there are several key sustainable food

5
production techniques, hydroponics is one of the most coveted methods for augmenting sustainable

and renewable agriculture (Omaye, 2016). The advantages of hydroponic farming are numerous

including higher yields and water reusability, and when used in a controlled environment,

hydroponic systems can be an all-year rounder supply of food and crops (Brechner, 2014).

Food crops such as spinach, strawberry, and bell pepper are among the best grown and

lettuce is one of the most popular crops for hydroponic farming; Scientific name: Lactuca sativa

or Lettuce, an annual leaf vegetable of the aster family also known as Asteraceae (or, alternatively,

Compositae), a cultivated plant with edible leaves that are usually served as a base in green salads

(Britannica, 2020). In a research conducted by Barbosa et.al, comparing lettuce grown using soil-

less and soil-based farming, hydroponics garnered higher yields compared to traditional farming

methods, however, these data have been gathered using real inputs from large commercial farming

lands across different locations in the United States.

In another experiment study conducted by Maeva Makendi, presented a competitive

analysis between the plant's growth in soil-less and soil-based system. It hypothesized that “If the

hydroponic plants and plants grown in soil are given the same germinating and growing conditions,

then the hydroponic plants will do as well if not even better than the plants grown in soil”; the

experiment utilized several variety of crops for four weeks. As a result, the hydroponic plants

germinated and even grew quicker than soil-based crops. Another study by Samangooei et.al

compared the two food production systems, soil-less and soil-based, the data showed that the

productivity gave a similar conclusion as Makendi’s study. In addition, a study done by Sardare

6
indicated that crops grown via hydroponics systems are even healthier and more reliable than plant

cultivated in soil.

Conceptual Framework

Controlled
Variables
Independent Dependent
Variables Variables •Location
•species
•Nutrients •Number of •Sun exposure
added Leaves •Germination
•Water-based •Length of phase
(Hydroponic) Stem
•Soil-based •pH

Illustration 4. Conceptual Framework

Independent Variables

Nutrients added

In this research, the Yamazaki Nutrient Solution for Lettuce was used for the hydroponics

planting system. Yamazaki formula is one of famous nutrient solution in Japan. The formula has

many kinds of compositions which are suitable for growing each vegetable. Dr. Yamazaki

measured the apparent concentrations of nutrient uptake by plants (Wada, 2019).

7
Water-based (Hydroponic) Planting System

The design of experiment utilized the model growing system to grow the hydroponic plants

(Gashgari, 2018). It consisted of a cup or reservoir containing the nutrient solution. The set up is

non-circulating so an air pump is not mandatory.

Nutrient Soil

For the traditional planting a healthy soil was used to aid an ecosystem of beneficial micro-

organisms and nutrients to feed the lettuce plants (Molosky, 2017).

Dependent Variables

Number of Leaves

The daily leaves production was monitored on a regular basis for both water-based and

soil-based systems.

Length of Stem

8
 The daily stem growth was measured religiously for the water-based and soil-based

systems.

pH

Hydroponic-based plants require different pH levels than soil-based plants. The absence of

soil would mean lack of microorganisms, organic matter, and interactions between water and

minerals that regulate pH levels (Jenco, 2019). In a hydroponic environment, the researcher must

continuously monitor and if necessary, adjust the pH levels.

Controlled Variables

Location

The location and environment for the experimental design were carefully selected to ensure

that all the required conditions are within the specifications.

Species / Seed

Only one seed or species was used in this study. The seed is the Lactuca Sativa – lollo

bionda variety. It was the preferred plant for its unique properties and suitability for both water-

based and soil-based systems.

Sun Exposure

The timing for the sun exposure were also considered and monitored regularly on a daily

basis.

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Germination Phase

The germination phase is required for the seed cultivation for the hydroponic system. It is

one of the most critical parts of the hydroponic procedure and must be done with careful

consideration of the required protocols.

Hypothesis

The research design of experiment focused on the comparison of the growth of soil-based

planting system and water-based planting system using the same seed type by following the

established and conventional procedures to represent actual farming cultivation environment.

Hence, the hypothesis was based on:

𝐻0: The pH and the planting system have significant effect on the height progression of

the plant.

𝐻1: The pH and the planting system have no significant effect on the height progression

of the plant.

Definition of Terms

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 Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, using minerals dissolved solution

in the water. Plants can be directly planted in the water or in an inert medium, such as sand, perlite

or gravel (Al-Ghafri, 2018).

Yamazaki formula is one of famous nutrient solution in Japan. The formula has many
kinds of compositions which are suitable for growing each vegetable. Dr. Yamazaki measured
the apparent concentrations of nutrient uptake by plants (Wada, 2019).

11
 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY

In order for the experiment to be valid and acceptable, a thorough research based on the

review of related literatures was administered to develop the metrics for the soil-based and soil-

less farming. Data related to conventional farming was gathered using agricultural research papers

while the records regarding hydroponic production was obtained thru scientific documentations

about the lettuce cultivation.

Illustration 1. Typical Lettuce: Lactuca sativa

For this research study, it was found out that lettuce (Scientific name: Lactuca sativa) was

the most popular among hydroponics farmers due to its excellent potential as a year-rounder indoor

crop. Moreover, lettuce grows rapidly in any given environment even in locations with relatively

low light and temperatures, thus, making it an ideal crop for this experiment.

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 Illustration 2. Stages in the Life Cycle of Lactuca Sativa

According to Bentor Jr. et.al (2013), the hydroponic production system is comparable to

the yield in traditional lettuce growing areas using the conventional production system, which

means that it be grown in a relatively small area but with almost the same number of crops

produced.

Experimental Site and Environmental Conditions

The study was conducted inside the residence of the proponent, Ms. Gianina Andrea G.

Buenconsejo, located in District IV, Manila, National Capital Region, Philippines (14°36'38.0"N

121°00'32.5"E) from December 5, 2020 to January 6, 2021. The experimental area was set up for

ease of access and movement of the controls for the daily sunlight exposure. For the twenty-day

duration of the experiment, the environmental conditions were fairly dry at daytime with

temperatures ranging from 28oC to 34oC for most parts of the day.

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Materials and Tools

The materials used for creating the hydroponic system and the soil-based system in

conducting the experiment were as follows: twenty pieces of Lettuce Seeds Lactuca sativa variety

of lollo bionda, 1.5 liter microwaveable container with lid, tissue paper, tap water, foam, twenty

pieces three-ounce plastic cups, scissors, and cutter.

Additional materials used for the hydroponic set up were: three pieces five-inch hydroponic net

basket, hydroton clay pebbles, plastic containers that can hold the five-inch hydroponic basket,

twelve-ounce plastic cups, commercially available hydroponic nutrient solution, foam insulator,

Duct tape, pen-type pH Meter, marker for labeling, and ruler. For the soil-based set up: loam soil

and rectangular plastic pot were utilized.

Experimentation

Preparation and Experimental Set up

There were two experimental set ups prepared for this study: A. Hydroponics (Water-

based) set up B. Soil-based set up. Although these are different set ups, both of them utilized the

same variety of lettuce, known as lollo bionda.

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 Illustration 3. Lettuce: Lactuca Sativa Profile

Seed Germination

Seed germination is defined as the sum of events that begin with hydration of the seed and

culminate in emergence of the embryonic axis (usually the radicle) from the seed coat (Srivastava,

2002). And in this research, it was the most critical part of the procedure, and was carried out with

careful planning and consideration of several factors such as temperature, pH and soil moisture.

Initially, the twenty seeds were placed in a microwavable container with a water-sprayed

tissue lining on its bed and surface. These seeds were arranged in a linear position, placed

equidistant from one another and covered on top with another layer of wet tissue to start the

imbibition process. The container was then closed and positioned in a dark area.

To ensure that the tissues were well-hydrated, observations were performed twice on a

daily basis: one in the morning and one in the afternoon until the radicle appeared on the third day.

From the container, it was readied to be transferred to a new medium, an individual foam in

individual cups with water and was located by the window with no direct sunlight. It was allowed

15
to grow for ten days before being subjected to the hydroponic net basket for the water-based set

up and transferred to the pot with soil for the soil-based set up.

Hydroponic (Water-based) Set up

The seeded foam was placed in hydroton clayed hydroponic net basket and was transferred

to the hydroponic container, ensuring that the bottom part of the foam was submerged into the

water. The lettuce seeds were then exposed to the sunlight daily from 6:00 am to 8:00 am and were

reverted back to its original location for the rest of the time.

Soil-based Set up

The five chosen lettuce seedlings were removed from the foam and then planted into a

plastic pot containing loam soil. The soil moisture was also monitored on a regular basis. These

set ups were also exposed to the sunlight daily from 6:00 am to 8:00 am and were reverted back to

its original location for the rest of the time.

Both set ups received the same exposure to sunlight and were located in the same place.

Water with nutrients were added to the hydroponics set up as to ensure the growth of the plants

while, ordinary tap water was used to water the plants in the soil-based set up.

Recorded the daily observation for both set ups, namely: growth in millimeters, number of leaves

sprouted, power of Hydrogen (pH) value and other relevant information such as description of

the stems, etc.

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Data Gathering and Collection

As discussed in the previous chapter, the independent, dependent and controlled variables

were employed during the observation period. These variables were implemented for both the

water-based and soil-based experimental set up. The independent variables are the nutrients added

and the water based and soil based set up, while the dependent variables are pH, number of leaves,

number of shoots and the length of stem in millimeters. The controlled variables are the location

of the set ups, species of the seeds, sun exposure and germination phase.

The set ups are observed daily for twenty days. The growth in millimeters, the number of

shoots and leaves and the pH level are taken daily and recorded in a chart.

17
 CHAPTER 4

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

In order for this study to have a conclusive and repeatable data and results, five replicates

were used for both the traditional soil planting and hydroponics. All of which have the same

specified research-controlled specifications and conditions and were subjected for a twenty-day

observation period.

pH variable

For the soil based, the average pH reading is consistent at 6.9 from plants 1 to plant 5.

SOIL-BASED
PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT
1 2 3 4 5
pH pH pH pH pH
Day Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading
1 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
2 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0 6.0
3 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9
4 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
6 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
7 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9
8 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
9 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
10 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5 6.5
11 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9
12 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
13 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
14 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9
15 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1
16 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
17 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9
18 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0

18
 19 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1
20 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0 7.0
Ave. 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9 6.9

For the water-based, the average pH reading ranges from 7.0 to 7.2 across all plant controls.

HYDROPONICS-BASED
PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT
1 2 3 4 5
pH pH pH pH pH
Day Reading Reading Reading Reading Reading
1 7.0 7.0 7.0 6.6 6.6
2 7.1 7.1 7.2 6.9 6.9
3 7.2 7.2 7.5 7.0 7.0
4 7.2 7.1 7.3 7.0 7.0
5 7.1 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.1
6 7.1 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.2
7 7.1 7.1 7.3 7.2 7.1
8 7.2 7.2 7.3 7.2 7.1
9 7.5 7.1 7.3 7.3 7.1
10 7.3 7.2 7.4 7.3 7.2
11 7.3 7.2 7.4 7.3 7.5
12 6.5 6.8 6.7 7.4 7.3
13 6.6 7.0 7.0 7.4 7.3
14 6.8 7.2 7.0 6.7 6.5
15 6.7 7.2 7.1 7.0 6.6
16 6.8 7.3 7.2 7.0 6.8
17 6.7 7.4 7.1 7.1 6.7
18 7.0 7.3 7.1 7.2 6.8
19 7.1 7.3 7.0 7.1 6.7
20 6.9 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.0
Ave. 7.0 7.2 7.2 7.1 7.0

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Number of Leaves variable

The number of leaves of the plants were also recorded daily for 20 days. The data are as

follows:

SOIL-BASED

PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT

1 2 3 4 5
Number Number Number Number Number
Day of Leaves of of of of
Leaves Leaves Leaves Leaves
1 2 2 2 2 2
2 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3
4 3 3 3 3 3
5 3 3 3 3 3
6 3 2 3 3 3
7 3 2 4 3 4
8 4 3 4 3 4
9 4 3 4 4 4
10 4 3 4 4 4
11 4 3 4 4 4
12 4 3 4 4 4
13 4 3 4 4 5
14 4 3 5 4 5
15 4 4 5 4 5
16 4 4 3 4 5
17 3 4 2 3 4
18 3 4 2 3 4
19 3 4 2 2 4
20 3 5 2 3 4

The number of leaves for soil-based ranges from 2 – 5 across all plant controls.

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 HYDROPONICS-BASED

PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT

1 2 3 4 5
Number Number Number Number Number
Day of of of of Leaves of Leaves
Leaves Leaves Leaves
1 2 3 2 3 3
2 3 3 3 3 3
3 3 3 3 3 3
4 3 4 4 4 4
5 4 4 4 4 4
6 4 4 4 4 4
7 4 4 4 5 4
8 4 4 4 5 5
9 4 4 4 5 4
10 4 5 5 5 4
11 5 5 5 4 4
12 5 5 6 3 2
13 4 6 6 3 2
14 4 6 6 4 1
15 3 6 6 3 1
16 4 7 6 2 1
17 3 6 7 2 1
18 3 6 7 x 1
19 1 5 5 x x
20 1 5 5 x x

The number of leaves for water-based is recorded at 1 and 5 in the end of the 20-day

observation period, while there were also plant controls that perished from Day 18.

Number of Shoots variable

In addition to the number of leaves, the number of shoots were also counted for the duration

of the experiment.

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 SOIL-BASED

PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT

1 2 3 4 5
Number Number Number Number Number
Day of of of of of
Shoots Shoots Shoots Shoots Shoots
1 0 0 0 0 0
2 0 0 0 0 0
3 0 0 0 0 0
4 0 0 0 0 0
5 0 1 1 0 1
6 1 1 1 0 1
7 1 1 0 1 0
8 0 0 0 1 0
9 0 0 0 0 0
10 0 1 0 0 0
11 0 1 0 0 0
12 1 1 1 0 1
13 1 1 1 0 0
14 1 1 0 0 0
15 1 0 0 0 0
16 1 0 0 1 0
17 0 0 0 1 0
18 0 0 0 1 0
19 0 1 0 1 0
20 0 5 0 0 1

The number of shoots varies and resulted to 5 and 1 respectively, while the other plant

controls recorded none on the 20th day of experimentation.

HYDROPONICS-BASED

PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT

1 2 3 4 5
Number Number Number Number Number
Day of of of of of
Shoots Shoots Shoots Shoots Shoots

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 1 1 0 1 0 0
2 0 0 1 0 0
3 0 1 1 1 0
4 1 0 0 0 0
5 0 0 0 0 0
6 0 0 0 0 0
7 0 1 1 0 1
8 0 1 1 0 0
9 0 1 1 0 0
10 0 0 0 0 0
11 0 1 1 0 0
12 0 1 0 0 0
13 0 0 0 1 0
14 1 0 1 0 0
15 1 1 1 0 0
16 0 0 1 0 0
17 0 0 0 0 0
18 0 1 0 x 0
19 0 0 1 x x
20 0 0 1 x x

For the hydroponics controls, the numbers were recorded between 0 and 1, while the rest

of the controls perished starting from day 18.

Plant Height (in mm) variable

The plant height is one of the important metrics of this research, hence, it was consistently observed

for 20 days. The height of the plants was measured in millimeters (mm) for both soil-based and

water-based. The following data and results were collected and tabulated as follows:

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 SOIL-BASED

PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT

1 2 3 4 5
Height Height Height Height Height
Day in mm in mm in mm in mm in mm
1 0 0 0 0 0
2 13 25 19 15 20
3 21 31 24 21 26
4 25 35 28 25 31
5 30 39 31 25 34
6 34 26 32 26 37
7 36 27 36 33 40
8 38 29 37 34 41
9 39 30 41 36 42
10 41 32 41 39 45
11 45 36 41 40 47
12 47 40 43 40 49
13 49 42 43 41 49
14 52 44 43 43 49
15 53 45 44 44 50
16 53 47 45 45 51
17 53 48 45 46 51
18 55 49 46 46 53
19 55 50 46 47 53
20 56 51 46 49 55

From the table above, it has been observed that the height of the plants ranges from 46 mm

to 56 mm at the end of the observation period.

HYDROPONICS-BASED

PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT PLANT

1 2 3 4 5
Height Height Height Height Height
Day in mm in mm in mm in mm in mm
1 34 38 32 36 30

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 2 38 40 35 38 35
3 41 47 44 41 36
4 48 53 47 45 40
5 52 56 52 48 47
6 55 60 56 49 47
7 60 61 59 54 55
8 64 64 60 57 55
9 64 66 62 60 60
10 64 68 65 63 60
11 65 70 71 63 63
12 65 72 75 63 64
13 66 76 77 63 65
14 68 76 78 66 66
15 68 78 78 67 66
16 68 83 80 67 66
17 70 84 81 68 67
18 70 86 83 x 67
19 72 90 84 x x
20 72 91 86 x x

For the hydroponics controls, the height of the plants was measured and resulted from 72

mm to 91 mm, however, there were also plant controls that stopped growing and eventually

perished.

Data Analysis and Graphical Representation

According to Gashgari et.al (2018), the plants that cultivated in hydroponic system can

achieve a 20-25% higher yields and most likely to increase the productivity 2-5 times higher

compared to the traditional planting system. In this section, the evaluation of growing plants in a

water-based system and a soil-based system were analyzed and represented in a graphical

illustration to get an overview and better understanding of the data and results.

25
The Soil-based (SB) Plant controls data and results were represented in the following:

SB Plant 1 Data and Results

8.0 60
7.0
50
6.0
40
5.0
4.0 30
3.0
20
2.0
10
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 1 pH Reading PLANT 1 Number of Leaves

PLANT 1 Number of Shoots PLANT 1 Height in mm

Figure 1. The data showed that at Day 20 the plant height is more than 50 mm at pH within 7
with some leaves and varying amounts of shoots (within the specified period)
SB Plant 2 Data and Results
8.0 60
7.0
50
6.0
40
5.0
4.0 30
3.0
20
2.0
10
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 2 pH Reading PLANT 2 Number of Leaves

PLANT 2 Number of Shoots PLANT 2 Height in mm

Figure 2. The results above exhibited rapid growth from Day 1 to Day 5 but decelerated from
Day 6 causing the final the plant height at less than 50 mm at pH within 7 with significant
amount leaves and shoots.

26
 SB Plant 3 Data and Results
8.0 50
7.0
40
6.0
5.0 30
4.0
3.0 20
2.0
10
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 3 pH Reading PLANT 3 Number of Leaves

PLANT 3 Number of Shoots PLANT 3 Height in mm

Figure 3. The data showed that almost exhibited the same progression as Figure 1 (SB Plant 1)
but the height, which is recorded at less than 50 mm.

SB Plant 4 Data and Results

8.0 60
7.0
50
6.0
40
5.0
4.0 30
3.0
20
2.0
10
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 4 pH Reading PLANT 4 Number of Leaves

PLANT 4 Number of Shoots PLANT 4 Height in mm

Figure 4. The data showed the same characteristics as Figure 3 (SB Plant 3) but slightly
produced more leaves during the 20-day period.

27
 SB Plant 5 Data and Results
8.0 60
7.0
50
6.0
40
5.0
4.0 30
3.0
20
2.0
10
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 5 pH Reading PLANT 5 Number of Leaves

PLANT 5 Number of Shoots PLANT 5 Height in mm

Figure 5. This plant control had the best profile among the plant controls considering all the
variables being measured.

Furthermore, the water-based (WB) plant controls data and results were also presented as
follows:

WB Plant 1 Data and Results

8.0 80
7.0 70
6.0 60
5.0 50
4.0 40
3.0 30
2.0 20
1.0 10
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 1 pH Reading PLANT 1 Number of Leaves

PLANT 1 Number of Shoots PLANT 1 Height in mm

Figure 6. The plant height recorded at more than 70 mm at pH level of 7.0. The growth
stagnated at Day 8 with minimal progression until Day 20.

28
 WB Plant 2 Data and Results
8.0 100
7.0
80
6.0
5.0 60
4.0
3.0 40
2.0
20
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 2 pH Reading PLANT 2 Number of Leaves

PLANT 2 Number of Shoots PLANT 2 Height in mm

Figure 7. This plant control had the best profile and characteristics among all the hydroponic
controls.

WB Plant 3 Data and Results

8.0 100
7.0
80
6.0
5.0 60
4.0
3.0 40
2.0
20
1.0
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 3 pH Reading PLANT 3 Number of Leaves

PLANT 3 Number of Shoots PLANT 3 Height in mm

Figure 8. The data showed the same characteristics as Figure 7 (WB Plant) but slightly shorter in
height.

29
 WB Plant 4 Data and Results
8.0 80
7.0 70
6.0 60
5.0 50
4.0 40
3.0 30
2.0 20
1.0 10
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 4 pH Reading PLANT 4 Number of Leaves

PLANT 4 Number of Shoots PLANT 4 Height in mm

Figure 9. This plant control had typical progression but wavered at Day 17.

WB Plant 5 Data and Results

8.0 80
7.0 70
6.0 60
5.0 50
4.0 40
3.0 30
2.0 20
1.0 10
0.0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

PLANT 5 pH Reading PLANT 5 Number of Leaves

PLANT 5 Number of Shoots PLANT 5 Height in mm

Figure 10. This plant control had typical progression and lasted a day more compared to Figure
9 - Plant 4 but also wavered after.

30
 Assessment and Comparison: Soil-based and Water-based plant

controls and its relationship

This research aimed to evaluate the hydroponic planting system as a feasible farming

alternative due to the many benefits and advantages compared to the traditional planting system.

Benefits such as space saving, water conservation, less chemicals (if any) and faster growth.

The experimental set up utilized replication of plant controls and measured pre-determined

variables to know if there is a significant difference between the planting system and the yield

produced after a certain period. In addition, the data and results were also analyzed to confirm if

the water-based system followed the best growth progression for the Lactuva sativa plant.

The duration of the experiment started from December 5, 2020 and ended last January 6,

2021. The pH of the plant controls was measured, and growth of the plants were also monitored

on a regular basis. Furthermore, the number of leaves and shoots were also recorded for all plant

controls.

To illustrate the difference in the height progression from Day 1 to Day 20 and for quick

overview, the graph below showed a greater comparison of the height (in mm) of soil-based system

vs. water-based system:

31
 Height in mm: Soil-based vs. Water-based
SOIL-BASED PLANT 1 Height in mm SOIL-BASED PLANT 2 Height in mm
SOIL-BASED PLANT 3 Height in mm SOIL-BASED PLANT 4 Height in mm
SOIL-BASED PLANT 5 Height in mm HYDROPONICS-BASED PLANT 1 Height in mm
HYDROPONICS-BASED PLANT 2 Height in mm HYDROPONICS-BASED PLANT 3 Height in mm
HYDROPONICS-BASED PLANT 4 Height in mm HYDROPONICS-BASED PLANT 5 Height in mm
100

90 90 91
84 86 84 86
83 81 83
80 80
77
76 78
76 78
75
70 71
70 72 70 70 72 72
66 68 66 68
66 68
67
66 68
67
66 68
67 67
64 64 65
64
63 65
63 65
64
63 65
63
60 60 61
60 60 62
60 60
59 57
56 56
55 55
54 55 55 55 56
55
53 52 52 53 53
51 53
51 53 53 51
50 49 49 49 49 50 49 50 49
47 48
47 48
47 47 47 47 47 48
46 46 47
46 46
44 45 45 45 43 43 44
43 45
44 45 45
40 40 41 40 40 41 42
41 41 41
40 40 42
41
38 38 39 37 38
37 39 39
36
34 35 36 35 34 34 36 34 36 36
32 31 31 31 32 33 32
30 30 30 29 30
26 28 26 27
25 24 25 25
20 20
19 21
15
13
10

0 0 0 0 0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20

Figure 11. Traditional Planting System vs. Hydroponics: Height Progression for 20 days.

Based on the results above, all the plant controls for both soil-based and hydroponic system

germinated and grew. For the traditional planting system, it can be deduced that the growth was

consistent for all controls until Day 5, when some of the plants fluctuated until Day 12 and

eventually stabilized until Day 20. On the contrary for the water-based system, the progression

was consistent up to the 10th day of the monitoring, then a considerable change in the direction for

other plant controls exhibited, some grew higher while the others stagnated and died from Day 18.

32
 From the illustration above, it is evident that the hydroponic system yields better in terms

of plant growth, but it can be noted that some of the plants in the system died before the experiment

ended. For the soil-based system, it is quite the opposite, although the height of the plants was

almost 50% less compared to water-based system, it yielded 100% in all of the plant controls,

which means, none of the plants perished during the 20-day period of experimentation.

Surprisingly, the results contradicted the related literatures that posited that there is high

probability for soil-based plants to die due to human factors such overwatering (Okemwa, 2015).

Further investigation suggested that those water-based plant control, Plant 4 and Plant 5, started

with a very low pH of 6.6 respectively. Consequently, the most valuable metrics for hydroponic

systems is the level of pH and for most part, the plant thrive in an ideal environment, thus, if the

solution is too acidic or alkaline, it can cause the nutrient deficiencies or it could die

instantaneously (Singh, 2019).

33
 CHAPTER 5

CONCLUSION

As the food demand is projected to rise from 59% to 98% by 2050, the supply constraints

will force the agricultural industry to reinvent its current methods of cultivation to a more

technologically advanced for a sustainable future. The global farming systems will need to quickly

adapt to boost the crop yields by amassing the expanse of agricultural land to grow food crops or

by improving the efficiency on current agricultural estate via fertilizers, irrigation and adopting

new advance methods like precision farming (Elferink et.al, 2016). But due to the scarcity of land

available for food crops, increasing the plant yield per acre is a challenging feat, though possible

but the cost-efficiency might be compromised. Thus, there is need for a more sustainable

agricultural technology to deliver crops on a greater scale with a technique such as vertical farming,

popularly known as the hydroponics cultivation technology.

This research aimed to examine efficient techniques for a sustainable planting method

using the hydroponic system. The experimental methodology was precisely designed to evaluate,

study and compare the traditional soil-based system and hydroponic water-based system by

planting Lactuca Sativa (Lettuce) seeds for a specified duration of time. The two systems were set

up in a controlled environment, followed strict monitoring procedures and recorded the pH,

number of leaves, number of shoots and the plant height (in mm) to determine whether the

hydroponic system is better than the traditional system. The final results from design of experiment

showed that the water-based technique had the better yield in terms of growth production since the

lettuce plant grew almost half as much than traditional soil-based system. Moreover, the plants in

34
the hydroponics system appeared to have the heights grew faster. Contrariwise, the planting

technique has no significant effect on the number of leaves and number of shoots for both systems.

However, it can be noted that pH level readings, although not conclusive, contributed a significant

role in the plants longevity based on the data and results gathered.

RECOMMENDATION

Hydroponics technology systems is gaining traction in a global scale due to the fact that

such techniques pose a variety of new options and opportunities for farmers and individuals to

have crop yields with high quality vegetables and other indoor plants. However, both water-based

and soil-based agriculture techniques warrants proper control and must be implemented correctly

with careful consideration with the crop needs such as: soil, water, environment and as well as the

overall safety of the cultivation process.

And while hydroponic system is a relatively feasible alternative to grow crops in otherwise

non-farmable landmass, other factors can affect the quality of the plants and thus, must be

considered for future supplementary and advance research such as:

• Research can be simulated on a small or medium farming scale, which could help in

validating whether the hydroponic system will meet the requirement of the current and

future market demand.

• Study multiple factors such as the kind of soil used, and the type of nutrient solution utilized

to check the viability in replicating the experiment on an actual farming environment.

35
 • Design of experiment monitoring duration could also be prolonged to investigate for a more

comprehensive comparative study for soil-based and water-based systems.

• Important variable to consider is the type of plants and the number of plants as controls for

better correlation and data gathering and comparison. In this research, only one type of

plant was considered. Thus, it can extend with different kinds of seeds to establish if the

gathered results can be generalized to various plants and conditions.

As the popularity of this plant growing method has been increasing ever since, there are still

many factors that needs to be considered in order to use it efficiently and further research and

studies would greatly contribute to the mass adoption of this cultivation technique. Therefore, any

new advancement would greatly benefit a greater population, particularly the poor and developing

countries that do not have access to quality and nutrient soil profile.

36
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41
 APPENDIX

Materials for the Hydroponics Set up

Basic Materials

Materials for the Nutrient Solution

42
 Seed Germination

Seeds with Radicles Ready for Transfer

Seeds Transferred to the Foam

43
 Seeds after a few days in Foam

Materials for transferring the Seedlings to the Hydroponics Set up

44
Preparation of Nutrient Solution

Seedlings Hydroponics Set up

45
Hydroponics Set up in the Insulator Cover

Sample of Hydroponics Set up

46
Preparation of Soil-based Set up

Seeds planted loam soil.

47
 Testing the pH meter for the Soil-based Set up

Day 5

Soil Based Plants 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

48
Hydroponic Plants 1 and 5

Hydroponic Plant 2

Hydroponic Plants 3 and 4

49
Day 10

Soil Based Plants 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Hydroponic Plants 1 and 5

Hydroponic Plant 2

50
 Hydroponic Plants 3 and 4

Day 15

Soil Based Plants 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

Hydroponic Plants 1 and 5

51
 Hydroponic Plant 2

Hydroponic Plants 3 and 4

Day 20

Soil Based Plants 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5

52
Hydroponic Plants 1 and 5

Hydroponic Plant 2

53
Hydroponic Plants 3 and 4

54