Horticulturae Webinar | Aquaponics 4.0: Smart, Sustainable Paths to Premium Plants
the chairs
5th Horticulturae Webinar
Aquaponics 4.0: Smart, Sustainable Paths to Premium Plants
“Aquaponics 4.0: Smart, Sustainable Paths to Premium Plants” is a webinar that explores how cutting‑edge technologies are transforming aquaponic systems into highly efficient, climate‑resilient food production platforms. Building on organically enriched water from aquaculture, Aquaponics 4.0 integrates tools such as IoT, data analytics, and artificial intelligence to optimize resource use, reduce emissions, and enhance plant growth and quality.
This session will guide participants from precise nutrient and salinity management in recirculating systems, through technology transfer using hydroponic and aquaponic models, to digitally enhanced urban food production and smart chambers for controlled plant propagation.
In this webinar, attendees will explore how automated drainage recirculation in rose crops supports nutrient balance and long‑term sustainability, and how hydroponic and aquaponic platforms can serve as living laboratories for transferring high‑performance, quality‑focused technologies to growers. They will also learn how real‑time monitoring, data‑driven decision‑making, IoT‑enabled control, and modular smart chambers such as SmartPhyto can boost productivity and plant quality in compact or climate‑challenged environments, illustrating the practical potential of Aquaponics 4.0 across scales and contexts.
Date: 15 April 2026
Time: 5:00 p.m CEST | 11:00 a.m EDT
Webinar ID: 835 5732 7476
Webinar Secretariat: journal.webinar@mdpi.com
Meet the Event Chairs
Meet Our Speakers
Dr. Jesús Antonio Nava Pintor
Laboratory of Inventions Applied to Industry, Academic Unit of Electrical Engineering, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas;
Jesús Antonio Nava Pintor is a Mechatronics Engineer and Researcher specializing in IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and Embedded Systems. He holds a PhD in Applied Engineering and Technology (2025) from the Autonomous University of Zacatecas, where he graduated with honors. With experience in both industry and academia, Dr. Nava has led high-impact national projects, notably winning the 2019 CANACINTRA National Entrepreneur Award for "AQUOS 4.0," an innovative IoT solution for aquaculture. His professional expertise includes the development of embedded and domotic systems, IoT architecture, and electronic design. Furthermore, he has been instrumental in implementing high-level certification processes, such as ISO 9001 and CMMI, within the private sector.
Currently, he serves as a Professor of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering, teaching advanced courses in Machine Learning and System Design. Dr. Nava is also an active contributor to the CAMAZOT project, developing aerial surveillance radar technology in collaboration with the Mexican Secretariat of National Defense (SEDENA). His research and publications focus on bridging the gap between Artificial Intelligence and its applications in healthcare, agriculture, embedded systems, and robotics.
Dr. Samuel Lopez-Tejeida
Faculty of Engineering, Amazcala Campus, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro;
Automation Engineer with a master’s and a Doctorate in Biosystems Engineering, all from the Faculty of Engineering at the Autonomous University. He has taught at both the university and high school levels. He has experience in PLC programming, microcontrollers, and the design and construction of power panels for the automation of aquaculture and horticultural greenhouses. He also has experience in the production of aquaculture species, particularly tilapia. His work objectives focus on the design and construction of biosystems to produce high-quality food, combining aquaculture and horticulture to achieve sustainability. His work tools include computers, sensors, motors, and, above all, the application of the scientific method to generate new knowledge.
Dr. Priscila S. Flores-Aguilar
Department of Biosystems, Faculty of Engineering, Amazcala Campus, Universidad Autónoma de Querétaro;
She focuses on sustainable food production systems, agricultural and aquaculture technologies, educational innovation, and the circular economy, and has led glocal funded research projects with public and private partners, and contributes to aligning academic programs with the UN Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda.
Sponsors and Partners
Organizer
In this section, you will find the recordings of this webinar to watch, re-watch and share with your colleagues!
This webinar explored how digital transformation, IoT, and data-driven decisions make urban aquaponics highly productive, as shown by Dr. Lopez-Tejeida. Dr. Nava Pintor introduced SmartPhyto, a smart modular chamber combining NFT and floating-root principles with microcontroller-based control. Dr. Flores Aguilar then demonstrated that aquaculture effluents can enhance plant defenses in coupled systems. Together, the three talks redefined Aquaponics 4.0 as an integrated system in which sensors, automation, smart chambers, and circular resource use work together to promote sustainability and climate-resilient food production.
Enhancing Plant Quality and Sustainability in Aquaponics Systems
Edited by: Dr. Genaro Soto-Zarazua, Dr. Priscilla Flores-Aguilar, Dr. Amanda Kim Rico-Chávez
Manuscript Submission Deadline: 14 May 2026