CHONG MAN LUNG Kolej Komuniti Mas Gading
Nowadays, hydroponic agriculture has become popular modern farming for sustainable food production method, particularly in areas facing land constraints, and water limitation. However, conventional Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) hydroponic systems commonly used often facing nutrient solution leakage and time consuming in maintenance procedures. This paper introduces HygroLab GreenBed, an innovative NFT hydroponic system designed to address these challenges through a user-centred and low-cost structural redesign. The system incorporates three key improvements: an overhead nutrient pipeline with dripping holes to replace conventional dripping tubes, an overflow-based flow pressure control mechanism, and a modified open-ended channel design with a partially enclosed nutrient solution catcher. The innovation was developed and evaluated through a two-cycle implementation involving community hydroponic programmes in Kampung Abang, Padawan, and Baleh, Kapit, Sarawak. Qualitative evaluation methods, including direct observation and informal interviews, were employed over several maintenance cycles and seven months of operation. The findings indicate that the HygroLab GreenBed system effectively eliminated nutrient leakage, significantly simplified cleaning and maintenance processes, reduced component failure, and lowered overall system costs. Community feedback further confirmed improved usability, reduced maintenance time, and increased confidence in system operation. The study demonstrates that HygroLab GreenBed system can substantially enhance the reliability and sustainability of NFT hydroponic systems thereby make it a practical and effective solution for rural and community-based hydroponic farming initiatives.