Page 124 - EER-2-3

Explora: Environment
and Resource Low-cost hydroponic for chili production

(NBT). One unit of SOD activity was defined as the 3. Results
amount of enzyme required to inhibit 50% of NBT
photoreduction 32 3.1. Evaluation of seedling growth potential
• Catalase (CAT) activity: Leaf extracts were prepared in Randomly selected seeds from the stock were viable and
the presence of 50 mM phosphate buffer and 20 mM demonstrated promising germination in plantation trays
H O , and absorbance was monitored at 240 nm. One with both soil and coco peat as substrates. However, seeds
2
2
unit of CAT activity was defined as the amount of raised in coco peat exhibited slightly higher germination
H O decomposed (in µmol) per minute. 33 performance (80% in soil vs. 100% in coco peat). After
2
2
2.5. Nutritional quality analysis 10 days of germination, comparative analysis revealed
that the SVI-I was significantly higher—by approximately
Nutritional quality was assessed in randomly selected 70%—in seeds germinated in coco peat in comparison to
mature fruits from all three experimental sets by estimating those grown in soil (Figure 2 and Table A2).
vitamin C and capsaicin content.
• Vitamin C: Fresh fruits were homogenized in 0.4% 3.2. Plant growth parameters
oxalic acid, and ascorbic acid content was quantified As shown in Figure 3, plants grown under conventional
spectrophotometrically at 520 nm following reaction hydroponics (Set II) exhibited significantly greater shoot
with 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol 34
• Capsaicin: Shade-dried fruits were extracted in height compared with plants grown in low-cost hydroponics
ethyl acetate, and the absorbance of the extract was (Set I) or soil (Set III), the latter two showing similar height.
measured at 280 nm to determine capsaicin yield. 35 In addition, plants in soil (Set III) required significantly
more time to reach both first flowering and first fruiting
2.6. Correlation analysis of stress responsiveness stages than those in the two hydroponic systems (Figure 4).
and yield performance Likewise, the number of days required for complete fruit
Correlation analyses were performed using RStudio maturation (red-ripe stage) was significantly higher in Set
(version 2024.12.1+563; posit.co/products/open-source/ III compared to Sets I and II (Figure 4).
rstudio) to evaluate the correlations between oxidative stress Fruit traits also differed among systems: Both fruit
generation (H O , MDA), antioxidant enzyme activities weight and total yield per plant were significantly higher
2
2
(SOD, CAT), yield traits (fruit number, fruit weight, and in Sets I and II, while Set III plants displayed a 50–60%
total yield), and nutritional quality parameters (Vitamin C, reduction in yield (Figure 5). Overall, Set III consistently
capsaicin content). Kendall’s tau (τ) correlation coefficient underperformed relative to the hydroponic systems
was employed to measure the strength and direction of across all measured parameters. Between Sets I and II,
associations. The statistical significance of correlations was no significant differences were observed, except for plant
tested using Kendall’s tau rank correlation method. height, which was greater in conventional hydroponics

2.7. Usability assessment (Set II) (Figures 1 and 3; Table A3).
A detailed demonstration and hands-on training for
the low-cost hydroponic system was conducted on the
university campus with 20 underprivileged households,
each represented by one member recommended by
the local administration (Figure A1). Participants were
provided with a basic setup, user manuals written in local
languages, and 1 month of cultivation experience. Their
feedback was collected to assess the system’s accessibility,
technical feasibility, and cost-effectiveness from their
perspective.

2.8. Statistical analyses
Experiments were replicated 3 times, and data were
analyzed using analysis of variance followed by Duncan’s Figure 2. Seedling vigor index-I for soil- versus soilless-grown (coco
multiple range test at p<0.05, performed in Statistical peat) seedlings. Data were recorded after 10 days of germination and
are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Different letters indicate
Package for the Social Sciences software (version 17.0.0; statistically significant differences according to Duncan’s multiple range
IBM, United States). 36 test (p<0.05).

Volume 2 Issue 3 (2025) 4 doi: 10.36922/EER025250050