AccScience Publishing / EER / Online First / DOI: 10.36922/EER025250050
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ORIGINAL RESEARCH ARTICLE

Evaluation of yield performance of Capsicum annuum (chili) cultivated using a low-cost, sustainable hydroponic system

Somroop Chakravarti1 ,  Arnab Sarkar1 ,  Anirban Maity2 ,  Bishal Roy1 ,  G. M. Al Amin3* ,  Moumita Gangopadhyay1,4*
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1 Department of Biotechnology, School of Life Science and Biotechnology, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata, India
2 Department of Mathematical Sciences, School of Basics and Applied Sciences, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata, India
3 Department of Botany, Jagannath University, Dhaka, Bangladesh
4 Agrotechnology and Rural Development Centre, Adamas University, Barasat, Kolkata, India
EER, 025250050 https://doi.org/10.36922/EER025250050
Received: 16 June 2025 | Revised: 8 August 2025 | Accepted: 14 August 2025 | Published online: 28 August 2025
© 2025 by the Author(s). This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License ( https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ )
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Abstract

One of the most pressing global challenges in conventional agriculture is climate change, which adversely affects crop productivity. Global food security is increasingly threatened by shifting climate patterns, depleting groundwater levels, and rapid urbanization. In this context, soilless hydroponics cultivation offers a sustainable solution, requiring minimal inputs, minimizing pesticide and agrochemical use, and enabling resource-efficient water management. This approach allows for climate-resilient production with precisely controlled yields under indoor farming conditions. Capsicum annuum (chili), a widely consumed food crop with high nutraceutical value, faces serious cultivation threats due to unpredictable weather fluctuations. This study evaluates the growth performance of C. annuum under a low-cost, water-efficient hydroponic system designed for indoor cultivation, utilizing repurposed mineral water bottles as growing units. A comparative assessment between soilless hydroponics and conventional soil-based cultivation was conducted to determine the potential of this system under controlled indoor conditions. The findings indicate that plant growth characteristics, yield performance, and nutraceutical quality were enhanced in the low-cost, non-circulating hydroponic setup. Key physiological parameters, including reactive oxygen species generation and antioxidant activity, were systematically measured. Overall, the results demonstrate that this sustainable hydroponic approach not only contributes to water-efficient, climate-resilient, and space-saving household chili production but also addresses solid waste management by repurposing discarded plastic bottles, thereby aligning with borader environmental sustainability goals.

Keywords
Hydroponics
Yield performance
Indoor cultivation
Funding
The work was funded by the Adamas University, India, through Seed grants (Reference No.: AU/REG/ NOT/2023/11/003) to Dr. Moumita Gangopadhyay.
Conflict of interest
The authors declare they have no competing interests.
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