DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF AUTOMATED HYDROPONIC SYSTEM FOR FODDER CROPS

The proposed system was developed for small and medium agriculture explorations enabling fodder production in six days. Within the six days production timeline, the system in completely autonomous, i.e., controls the desired agronomic conditions for production. Moreover, the system controls the fodder flow, i.e., since its entrance (seeds) to the final production stage, through vertical and horizontal displacement of the fodder trays. The system was designed to produce the fodder in height, to diminish the occupied area in the greenhouse, due to the space the later solution occupies, and also to diminish the volume of air to acclimate, if needed. From the requirements above, is present in the paper the automatic solution that comprises: the mechanical structure, the mechanical and hydraulic components, and also the control system to automate the Hydroponic Automatic System (HAS). KEY WORDS: Hydroponics, Fodder production, Tray farming, Automated system, Soil less farming.