Livestock is critical to the survival of people all around the world. The seasonal feed scarcity due to the rainfall patterns of the country and the rapid urbanization results in a reduction of land for fodder production. Most smallholder dairy farmers in Ghana feed their dairy cattle on Napier grass and crop remains e.g. maize stovers, bean stalks, and banana leaves which are all poor-quality feeds. Sustainable fodder production technologies could be used as an alternative for producing fodder all year round. Hydroponics fodder production is one such technology. The goal of the study is to design and construct an Automatic hydroponics fodder sprouting machine to aid in producing low-cost fresh green nutritious fodder under a controlled environment to feed livestock such as cows, sheep, goats, pigs, chicken, ducks, turkey, and guinea fowls. The individual sub-control systems were mathematically modeled and built using MATHLAB and SIMULINK. The physical system was built using a PID controller to monitor and control the growth parameters which were: Temperature, humidity, lighting, ventilation, and irrigation

1. www.acity.edu.gh
Redefining Tertiary Learning
Design and construction of an Automatic Fodder Grow Machine
Presenter : Wisdom Mahami : ID: 10180200254
Department : Electrical & Electronics Engineering
Supervisor : Mr. Michael Mensah
INTRODUCTION
AIMS
METHODOLOGY
RESULTS
Livestock is critical to the survival of
people all around the world. The worth
of the world's livestock is $1.4 trillion . In
addition to providing income to
approximately 500 million smallholder
farmers in poor countries, the sector
employs over 1.3 billion people.
Livestock production is a significant part
of Ghana's agriculture, which accounts
for 14% of total GDP. Its socioeconomic
significance in alleviating rural poverty
cannot be overstated.
Livestock is a valuable asset for the
rural poor in developing countries, but it
faces a serious problem in the form of
limited seasonal feed supply. During the
dry season, farmers do not get green fodder
to feed their livestock, causing them to lose
weight, and more susceptible to disease as a
result of malnourishment , which leads to
poor milk production and meat quality for
consumption..
DISCUSSION
PROBLEM STATEMENT
CONCLUSION
Traditional farming methods will not be
able to sustain livestock production in
terms of quality and quantity as a
result, science, technology, and
engineering must be used to develop
long-term and sustainable solutions,
necessitating the creation of this
project.
PROJECT SIGNIFICANCE
Project goal (Main Objectives)
The goal of the study is to design and
construct an Automatic hydroponics
fodder sprouting machine to produce
low cost fresh green nutritious fodder
under a controlled environment to feed
livestock (cows, sheep, goats, pigs,
chicken, ducks, turkey, and guinea
fowls). To analyze the feasibility of
Hydroponics fodder production in the
sustainability of agriculture in Ghana and
Africa at large.
CHALLENGES
• Acquiring the right Materials and
devices .
• Cost of Logistics
• Fabrication of glass
• Deviation of grow parameters
• Getting the right dimensions for
individual parts
• Alert system when pump fails
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5
FODDER
MASS(KG)
GRAIN MASS (KG)
GRAIN MASS VS FODDER MASS
The thermoelectric Peltier cooler
extracted enough heat to maintain the
interior temperature at 25 degrees Celsius
but that was as a result of higher external
temperature during march when the device
was tested. Using Non-Grow LED lights
caused some black spots on leaves.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
I would like to thank Mr. Michael Mensah
the project supervisor and also like to
acknowledge the technical support of Mr.
Karim Abu, Mr. Dominic , Mr.Selasie and
Mr.Ben.
Mathematical Model of Temperature Control of Grow Machine Block Diagram
Hydroponics Fodder Graph of Grain Mass Vs Mass of Fodder
• Feed consistency
• Greater yield
• Fodder quality
• Reduced carbon footprints
• High efficiency use of water
compared to traditional
methods.
• No Pesticides, insecticides,
and herbicides
• Less space required
• Highly rich in vitamins, minerals,
enzymes.
• Hydroponic fodder is 80%to 85%
digestible.
• Hydroponic fodder contains high quality
protein.
• High energy content.
• High in moisture content that prevents
colic
• Multi feed source for all livestock.
• Boosting of egg production in poultry