Analyzing growth responses of herbaceous medicinal plants in smart precision farming

Abstract

Agriculture forms the backbone of humans and livestock by providing food, newlinefodder, and essential resources to sustain populations worldwide. It has a vast newlinesocio-economic importance which contributes significantly to employment, newlinenational economies, and food security. Medicinal plants also play a crucial role newlinein both traditional and modern healthcare. The demand for better quality and newlinegreater quantity of agricultural produce and medicinal plants is growing newlinecontinuously with the global population. The focus on medicinal plants newlinepromotes human health by supporting the use of natural remedies addressing newlineboth nutritional and medicinal needs. Conventional soil-based farming methods newlineare facing numerous challenges leading to an exploration of soilless cultivation, newlineto enhance the yield of medicinal plants. newlineSoilless cultivation (aeroponics, hydroponics, and aquaponics), particularly newlinehydroponics, has gained attention for its ability to maximize yields while newlineconsuming minimum resources. Compared to soil-based agriculture, newlinehydroponic systems offer several advantages, like better nutrient delivery newlineleading to healthier plants, faster and higher yields, reduced water newlineusage, and reduced agricultural losses. Among various hydroponic systems, the newlineNutrient Film Technique (NFT) and Deep Water Culture (DWC) are the most newlineused setups. Both systems support a variety of crops and offer significant newlineadvantages over soil cultivation in terms of quality, quantity, and vegetation newlineperiod of yield. newline