Development and Evaluation of a Small-Scale Autonomous Aeroponic System with Laser Photostimulation for the Production of Leafy Vegetables in the Mexican Bajío.

This work introduces an aeroponic system with an integrated monitoring system, powered by photovoltaics and using laser photostimulation to enhance the germination of key vegetable seeds for the Bajío region in Mexico. For this study, four irradiation treatments of 30, 60, 90, and 120 s were performed with a Helium-Neon (HeNe) laser at a wavelength of 633 nm and a power of 10 mW. A non-irradiated control group was also considered. The seeds selected for this study are Batavia lettuce, Sangria lettuce and spinach. This work presents preliminary results focusing only on the germination process. According to the obtained results, the 60 s treatment in spinach seeds exhibited the best effects, reducing the mean germination time by 46% and increasing the germination percentage by 33% compared to the control group.