Fertigation Technology Meets Online Market: A Multipurpose Mobile App for Urban Farming

Abstract

In a world where smartphones dominate the market and provide opportunities to a vast population, this work introduces an innovative application that enables users to order irrigated vegetable crops from urban farmers. The application utilizes simple fertigation system technology, which can be easily implemented in small areas such as homes. Currently, consumers and sellers rely on traditional methods like paper or other means to place orders for vertical farming. However, research shows that these methods are unreliable and only offer temporary relevance. Additionally, the traditional agriculture supply chain diminishes the appeal of urban farming as its benefits do not outweigh the disadvantages. The primary objective of this application is to promote the concept of urban farming by creating an online marketplace that bypasses traditional methods. This allows consumers to directly order from the farmers themselves, serving as an alternative to the agricultural supply chain. Furthermore, a monitoring system has been integrated into the application as an additional tool, enabling farmers to remotely monitor and control their farms. This feature is particularly beneficial for urban farmers with farms in multiple locations who may lack the time to physically visit each one.