33. Automation in hydroponics: pumps, valves and controllers
When a hydroponic crop grows, manual dexterity becomes the first bottleneck.
Automation is not about "making the system smart": it is about making it stable, replicable and scalable.
In this article we analyze the three pillars of hydroponic automation-pumps, valves, and controllers-clarifying what they really do, what mistakes to avoid, and why without proper architecture even the best AI is useless.
1. Why really automate (and not just for convenience)
Automating means taking human variability out of critical parameters:
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water flows
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irrigation timing
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oxygenation
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recirculation and drainage
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rapid reactions to abnormal conditions
The real benefit is not the time savings, but the repeatability of the crop cycle.
Without automation, each cycle is slightly different from the previous one. With automation, cycles become comparable. And therefore improvable.
2. Pumps: the heart of the system (but also the most underrated point)
Main types
Submersible pumps
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inexpensive
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easy to install
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suitable for small or domestic systems
Limitations: poor accuracy and limited service life
External / centrifugal pumps
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more stable flow rate
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longer service life
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ideal for medium to large systems
Require proper hydraulic design
Peristaltic pumps
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extremely accurate metering
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critical for nutrients and pH correctors
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low flow rate, high control
Common mistake.
Choosing a pump based only on gallons/hour.
In reality, they also count:
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actual head
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continuity of operation
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compatibility with the control system
3. Valves: the real fine control tool
Valves decide where and when water (or air) flows through.
Most commonly used types
On/off valves
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simple
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robust
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binary (open/closed)
Proportional valves
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modulate flow
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fundamental in advanced systems
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allow dynamic micro-adjustments
In a multilayer or multi-crop system, valves are what allow each line to be treated as an independent micro-system.
Common mistake
Automating the pumps but leaving the valves manual.
Result: a "half-automated" system that is rigid and not scalable.
4. Controllers: where the intelligence of the system comes from.
The controller is the brain that:
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reads the sensors
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decides what to do
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activates pumps and valves
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records data
Levels of control
Timer
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no feedback
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apparent automation
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zero adaptivity
PLCs/microcontrollers
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conditional logic
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industrial reliability
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basis for serious systems
Software control + cloud
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dynamic logics
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historical analysis
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AI integration
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remote management
This is where the real paradigm shift occurs:
the system no longer just executes instructions, but reacts to the context.
5. Automation without data is just mechanics
An automated system that does not record data
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does not improve
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does not scale
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does not learn
Every actuation (pump turned on, valve opened, dosage made) must become structured data.
Only then is it possible to:
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compare cycles
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identify inefficiencies
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build predictive models
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introduce AI in a meaningful way
6. The Tomato+ approach: native automation, not add-on
In the Tomato+ system, automation is not an adjunct, but a basic condition:
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pumps and valves designed to work with software logic
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controllers integrated with sensors and cloud
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continuous feedback loop between plant and artificial intelligence
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possibility to treat each crop as a specific case
This allows:
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production stability
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dramatic reduction of errors
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replicability on a large scale
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continuous learning of the system
It is not just automation: it is growth infrastructure.
Conclusion
Pumps, valves, and controllers are not separate technical components.
They are a single distributed decision-making system.
Those who think of them as "hardware" miss the point.
Those who design them as part of a data-driven ecosystem build a real competitive advantage.
Thank you for reading this article. Keep following us to discover new content on hydroponics, vertical farming, and smart agriculture.
Tomato+ Team
