University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

A novel floating cultivation platform to boost crop yield and improve water quality

Fan, Youheng

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130093

Description

Title
A novel floating cultivation platform to boost crop yield and improve water quality
Author(s)
Fan, Youheng
Issue Date
2025-07-18
Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)
Tian, Lei
Doctoral Committee Chair(s)
Bhattarai, Rabin
Committee Member(s)
  • Maghirang, Ronaldo
  • Sepulveda, Andres Prada
Department of Study
Engineering Administration
Discipline
Agricultural & Biological Engr
Degree Granting Institution
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Degree Name
Ph.D.
Degree Level
Dissertation
Keyword(s)
  • floating hydroponic platform
  • nutrient uptake
  • biomass enhancement
  • water flow influence
  • solar-powered agriculture
  • environmental remediation
  • lettuce cultivation
  • precision agriculture
Abstract
The objective of this study was to develop a novel floating bed system, utilizing nutrition in polluted pools and lakes to grow valuable crops and vegetables. The system is powered by solar energy and can be applied to cultivate numerous cash crops using a floating platform on a water body like a pond or lake. The research questions that this study attempted to answer are: 1) Is the nutrition in polluted ponds receiving agricultural runoff enough to support plant growth? 2) Can proper water flow increase the nutrient uptake by the plant root, which can enhance plant biomass? 3) Can the solar energy absorbed by solar panels be used to generate water flow, promoting nutrient uptake by the plant roots? 4) Can we cultivate crops on water bodies like ponds with high nutrient levels without the need for additional fertilizers? To answer those questions, an indoor validation experiment was conducted based on a hydroponic system, with different flow rates set in the pipelines to observe the final biomass of the vegetables. A fluid model was used to calculate to ensure that the solar-powered propeller generates sufficient flow speed near the plant roots. And outdoor field experiments were conducted in a pond that received agricultural runoff to cultivate crops. The results from this study indicate that (1) plant biomass can be increased by more than 10% based on proper water flow, and (2) an on-water planting system with a solar-driven propeller can generate enough water flow around the plant root area to increase the plant biomass significantly. Thus, the novel floating bed system can be implemented for application in the treatment of agricultural pollution in water bodies.
Graduation Semester
2025-08
Type of Resource
Thesis
Handle URL
https://hdl.handle.net/2142/130093
Copyright and License Information
Copyright 2025 Youheng Fan

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