Aeroponic and NFT System Optimization for Lettuce: Effects of Flow Rate and Nutrient Source on Water Use Efficiency, Growth, and Profitability

Aeroponic and NFT System Optimization for Lettuce: Effects of Flow Rate and Nutrient Source on Water Use Efficiency, Growth, and Profitability | Research Square window.SnipcartSettings = { analytics: { enabled: false } }; (function() { var accessVector = localStorage.getItem('access_vector') || ''; window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; if (accessVector) { window.dataLayer.push({ user: { profile: { profileInfo: { snid: accessVector } } } }); } })(); (function(w,d,s,l,i){w[l]=w[l]||[];w[l].push({'gtm.start':new Date().getTime(),event:'gtm.js'});var f=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0],j=d.createElement(s),dl=l!='dataLayer'?'&l='+l:'';j.async=true;j.src='https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtm.js?id='+i+dl;f.parentNode.insertBefore(j,f);})(window,document,'script','dataLayer','GTM-K279D39R'); Browse Preprints In Review Journals COVID-19 Preprints AJE Video Bytes Research Tools Research Promotion AJE Professional Editing AJE Rubriq About Preprint Platform In Review Editorial Policies Our Team Advisory Board Help Center Sign In Submit a Preprint Cite Share Download PDF Article Aeroponic and NFT System Optimization for Lettuce: Effects of Flow Rate and Nutrient Source on Water Use Efficiency, Growth, and Profitability Doaa I. El-Demerdash, Mohamed M. Morad, Kamal I. Wasfy, Lamy M. M. HAMED, and 1 more This is a preprint; it has not been peer reviewed by a journal. https://doi.org/ 10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290708/v1 This work is licensed under a CC BY 4.0 License Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted 11 You are reading this latest preprint version Abstract Hydroponic cultivation is an innovative method for cultivating plants that does not rely on traditional soil. The present research aimed to enhance water use efficiency using different hydroponic systems of NFT(nutrient film technique system)and aeroponics with the use of water sources (well water + nutrient solution and fish culture) and water flow rates of 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2 l/h. System performance was evaluated in terms of nutrient uptake, water and nutrient index (amount of water consumption and nutrient solution consumption), crop characteristics, water use efficiency, and cost estimation. Results indicate that the optimum water flow rates are 1.6 and 0.8 l/h using NFT and aeroponic systems, respectively. The aeroponic system enhanced water use efficiency by 64.65 and 64.34% compared with the NFT system under nutrient solution and fish culture, respectively. The net profit using aeroponic was 34.38% and 5.37% higher than the NFT system using nutrient solution and fish farming, respectively. Using fish farming as a sustainable source of nitrogen, along with other nutrients, has provided ideal absorption of nutrients for the plant in addition to achieving a high economic return compared to using nutrient solutions. Biological sciences/Ecology Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology Physical sciences/Engineering Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences Biological sciences/Plant sciences Hydroponic systems Aquaculture drainage Lettuce crop Water use efficiency Cost analysis Full Text Additional Declarations No competing interests reported. Cite Share Download PDF Status: Published Journal Publication published 20 Mar, 2026 Read the published version in Scientific Reports → Version 1 posted Editorial decision: Revision requested 27 Jan, 2026 Reviews received at journal 18 Dec, 2025 Reviews received at journal 18 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Dec, 2025 Reviewers agreed at journal 16 Dec, 2025 Reviewers invited by journal 16 Dec, 2025 Editor assigned by journal 16 Dec, 2025 Editor invited by journal 16 Dec, 2025 Submission checks completed at journal 09 Dec, 2025 First submitted to journal 09 Dec, 2025 You are reading this latest preprint version Research Square lets you share your work early, gain feedback from the community, and start making changes to your manuscript prior to peer review in a journal. As a division of Research Square Company, we’re committed to making research communication faster, fairer, and more useful. We do this by developing innovative software and high quality services for the global research community. Our growing team is made up of researchers and industry professionals working together to solve the most critical problems facing scientific publishing. Also discoverable on Platform About Our Team In Review Editorial Policies Advisory Board Help Center Resources Author Services Accessibility API Access RSS feed Manage Cookie Preferences © Research Square 2026 | ISSN 2693-5015 (online) Privacy Policy Terms of Service Do Not Sell My Personal Information {"props":{"pageProps":{"initialData":{"identity":"rs-8290708","acceptedTermsAndConditions":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"archivedVersions":[],"articleType":"Article","associatedPublications":[],"authors":[{"id":561475731,"identity":"a48009cd-9505-40d4-9a67-43060615de83","order_by":0,"name":"Doaa I. 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Profitability\u003c/p\u003e","fulltext":[],"fulltextSource":"","fullText":"","funders":[],"hasAdminPriorityOnWorkflow":false,"hasManuscriptDocX":false,"hasOptedInToPreprint":true,"hasPassedJournalQc":"","hasAnyPriority":false,"hideJournal":false,"highlight":"","institution":"","isAcceptedByJournal":true,"isAuthorSuppliedPdf":true,"isDeskRejected":"","isHiddenFromSearch":false,"isInQc":false,"isInWorkflow":false,"isPdf":true,"isPdfUpToDate":true,"isWithdrawnOrRetracted":false,"journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true},"keywords":"Hydroponic systems, Aquaculture drainage, Lettuce crop, Water use efficiency, Cost analysis","lastPublishedDoi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290708/v1","lastPublishedDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290708/v1","license":{"name":"CC BY 4.0","url":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/"},"manuscriptAbstract":"\u003cp\u003eHydroponic cultivation is an innovative method for cultivating plants that does not rely on traditional soil. The present research aimed to enhance water use efficiency using different hydroponic systems of NFT(nutrient film technique system)and aeroponics with the use of water sources (well water\u0026thinsp;+\u0026thinsp;nutrient solution and fish culture) and water flow rates of 0.8, 1.2, 1.6, and 2 l/h. System performance was evaluated in terms of nutrient uptake, water and nutrient index (amount of water consumption and nutrient solution consumption), crop characteristics, water use efficiency, and cost estimation. Results indicate that the optimum water flow rates are 1.6 and 0.8 l/h using NFT and aeroponic systems, respectively. The aeroponic system enhanced water use efficiency by 64.65 and 64.34% compared with the NFT system under nutrient solution and fish culture, respectively. The net profit using aeroponic was 34.38% and 5.37% higher than the NFT system using nutrient solution and fish farming, respectively. Using fish farming as a sustainable source of nitrogen, along with other nutrients, has provided ideal absorption of nutrients for the plant in addition to achieving a high economic return compared to using nutrient solutions.\u003c/p\u003e","manuscriptTitle":"Aeroponic and NFT System Optimization for Lettuce: Effects of Flow Rate and Nutrient Source on Water Use Efficiency, Growth, and Profitability","msid":"","msnumber":"","nonDraftVersions":[{"code":1,"date":"2025-12-18 12:11:52","doi":"10.21203/rs.3.rs-8290708/v1","editorialEvents":[{"type":"communityComments","content":0},{"type":"decision","content":"Revision requested","date":"2026-01-27T11:01:02+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-19T00:46:39+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvitedReview","content":"","date":"2025-12-18T11:27:28+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"139813124043141497743494939334300792326","date":"2025-12-17T02:38:06+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"129846758069179357273012620161123451940","date":"2025-12-16T15:08:00+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewerAgreed","content":"322969950128302927653650807444020555201","date":"2025-12-16T14:51:38+00:00","index":"hide","fulltext":""},{"type":"reviewersInvited","content":"","date":"2025-12-16T12:45:06+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorAssigned","content":"","date":"2025-12-16T11:57:38+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"editorInvited","content":"","date":"2025-12-16T09:52:49+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"checksComplete","content":"","date":"2025-12-09T19:31:54+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""},{"type":"submitted","content":"Scientific Reports","date":"2025-12-09T19:27:11+00:00","index":"","fulltext":""}],"status":"published","journal":{"display":true,"email":"[email protected]","identity":"scientific-reports","isNatureJournal":false,"hasQc":true,"allowDirectSubmit":false,"externalIdentity":"scirep","sideBox":"Learn more about [Scientific Reports](http://www.nature.com/srep/)","snPcode":"","submissionUrl":"","title":"Scientific Reports","twitterHandle":"","acdcEnabled":true,"dfaEnabled":true,"editorialSystem":"stoa","reportingPortfolio":"Scientific Reports","inReviewEnabled":true,"inReviewRevisionsEnabled":true}}],"origin":"","ownerIdentity":"c8e15a4f-0cb3-497c-8d08-af7fe3818bde","owner":[],"postedDate":"December 18th, 2025","published":true,"recentEditorialEvents":[],"rejectedJournal":[],"revision":"","amendment":"","status":"published-in-journal","subjectAreas":[{"id":59886612,"name":"Biological sciences/Ecology"},{"id":59886613,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Ecology"},{"id":59886614,"name":"Physical sciences/Engineering"},{"id":59886615,"name":"Earth and environmental sciences/Environmental sciences"},{"id":59886616,"name":"Biological sciences/Plant sciences"}],"tags":[],"updatedAt":"2026-03-23T16:13:32+00:00","versionOfRecord":{"articleIdentity":"rs-8290708","link":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41347-z","journal":{"identity":"scientific-reports","isVorOnly":false,"title":"Scientific Reports"},"publishedOn":"2026-03-20 15:58:20","publishedOnDateReadable":"March 20th, 2026"},"versionCreatedAt":"2025-12-18 12:11:52","video":"","vorDoi":"10.1038/s41598-026-41347-z","vorDoiUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-41347-z","workflowStages":[]},"version":"v1","identity":"rs-8290708","journalConfig":"researchsquare"},"__N_SSP":true},"page":"/article/[identity]/[[...version]]","query":{"redirect":"/article/rs-8290708","identity":"rs-8290708","version":["v1"]},"buildId":"8U1c8b4HqxoKbykW_rLl7","isFallback":false,"isExperimentalCompile":false,"dynamicIds":[84888],"gssp":true,"scriptLoader":[]}