Design and Implementation of a Small-Scale Hydroponic Chamber for Sustainable Vegetative Propagation from Cuttings: A Basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.)

Angélica Nohemí Cardona Rodríguez, Carlos Alberto Olvera-Olvera (), Santiago Villagrana-Barraza, Ma. Auxiliadora Araiza-Ezquivel, Diana I. Ortíz-Esquivel, Luis Octavio Solís-Sánchez and Germán Díaz-Flórez ()
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Angélica Nohemí Cardona Rodríguez: Laboratorio de Invenciones Aplicadas a la Industria, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98160, Mexico
Carlos Alberto Olvera-Olvera: Laboratorio de Invenciones Aplicadas a la Industria, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98160, Mexico
Santiago Villagrana-Barraza: Laboratorio de Invenciones Aplicadas a la Industria, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98160, Mexico
Ma. Auxiliadora Araiza-Ezquivel: Laboratorio de Invenciones Aplicadas a la Industria, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98160, Mexico
Diana I. Ortíz-Esquivel: Laboratorio de Invenciones Aplicadas a la Industria, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98160, Mexico
Luis Octavio Solís-Sánchez: Posgrado en Ingeniería y Tecnología Aplicada, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98000, Mexico
Germán Díaz-Flórez: Laboratorio de Invenciones Aplicadas a la Industria, Unidad Académica de Ingeniería Eléctrica, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas 98160, Mexico

Sustainability, 2025, vol. 17, issue 19, 1-20

Abstract: Urban agriculture in space-constrained cities requires compact, reproducible propagation systems. Therefore, the aim of this Technical Note is to design, implement, and functionally validate a low-cost, modular hydroponic chamber (SSHG) for early-stage vegetative propagation. This system couples DHT11-based temperature/RH monitoring with rule-based actuation—irrigation 4×/day and temperature-triggered ventilation—under the control of an Arduino Uno microcontroller; LED lighting was not controlled nor analyzed. Two 15-day trials with basil ( Ocimum basilicum L.) yielded rooting rates of 61.7% (37/60) and 43.3% (26/60) under a deliberate minimal-input configuration without nutrient solutions or rooting hormones. Environmental summaries and spatial survival maps revealed edge-effect patterns and RH variability that inform irrigation layout improvements. The chamber, bill of materials, and protocol are documented to support replication and iteration. Thus, the SSHG provides a transferable baseline for educators and researchers to audit, reproduce, and improve small-footprint, controlled-environment propagation. Beyond its technical feasibility, the SSHG contributes to sustainability by leveraging low-cost, readily available components, enabling decentralized seedling production in space-constrained settings, and operating under a minimal-input configuration. In line with widely reported hydroponic efficiencies (e.g., lower water use relative to soil-based propagation), this open and replicable platform aligns with SDGs 2, 11, 12, and 13.

Keywords: sustainable plant systems; urban agriculture; controlled environment agriculture; vegetative propagation; hydroponic system; plant cuttings; Arduino automation; small-scale production (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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