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HORTICULTURAL
ASPECTS OF
AQUAPONICS
Michael A Nichols
Massey University
New Zealand
Sponsored by
THE CHALLENGE
90 % of the worlds water is in
the oceans and is totally
unsuitable for crop production.
8% of the planets remaining
water is in the polar icecaps.
Fresh water
2.5%
Salt water
97.5%
The remaining 2 % of the
earths water resources is what is
used to sustain life.
Industry 22%
Domestic 8%
Agriculture
70%
When we prioritise water use
the order is:
People,
Industry,
and last (but not least)
Agriculture.
WHY
CONSIDER
AQUACULTURE?
All land based systems have
two major problems, namely
the limited fresh water supply
and (even more critical) the
disposal of the nutrient rich
waste products from the fish.
AQUACULTURE TENDS NOT TO
RECYLE WATER.
EG A TROUT FARM IN UK
WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?
WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?
The solution is
AQUAPONICS
The combination of
aquaculture (fish farming)
with hydroponics (horticulture).
This could have major
implications for urban and
peri-urban agriculture in
developing countries, by
providing a source of animal
protein (fish) but also a
supply of vegetables in a
water efficient system.
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
THANK YOU
FOR YOUR
ATTENTION
In aquaponics the waste from the
fish provides the plants with
their nutrients, and the purified
water is then returned to the fish
tanks.
It is important to balance the fish
numbers with the plant numbers.
PROBLEM:
PRODUCERS USING
AQUAPONICS
TEND TO ENTER THE INDUSTRY
VIA AQUACULTURE
THEY CONSIDER THAT THE
FISH COMPONENT IS THE
SKILLED PART, AND THAT THE
HORTICULTURE IS RELATIVELY
STRAIGHT FORWARD.
YET
THE BULK OF THE INCOME
COMES FROM THE
HORTICULTURE
Tilapia/Lettuce Enterprise
Budget
Value Percent of total
(US$) (%)
Receipts
Tilapia 165,375 49.5
Lettuce 168,480 50.5
Total 333,855
Costs
Tilapia 98,824 65.2
Lettuce 51,783 34.8
Total 150,605
Returns 185,248
Tilapia/Basil Enterprise Budget
Value Percent of total
(US$) (%)
Receipts
Tilapia 165,375 19.7
Basil 675,000 80.3
Total 840,375
Costs
Tilapia 96,824 66.0
Basil 49,824 34.0
Total 146,648
Returns 693,727
WHAT IS HYDROPONICS?
HYDROPONICS
A form of intensive agriculture
Plants are grown without soil
Usually used only for high value
greenhouse crops.
HYDROPONICS
Two main hydroponic systems:
1) open (water to waste)
2) closed (recirculating).
HYDROPONICS
Two main types of hydroponics:
1) water culture
2) substrate culture
WATER CULTURE SYSTEMS
1) Deep flow system
2) Nutrient Film Technique
3) Aeroponics
DEEP FLOW SYSTEMS
Tend to be the predominant
system used with
aquaponics.
DEEP FLOW SYSTEMS
The only system where it is NOT
necessary to filter the solution
100% free from all particulate
matter
Suitable for leafy vegetables
(salads/basil), but not really
suitable (logistically) for the major
greenhouse vegetable crops
tomatoes, cucumbers, sweet
peppers.
There is a need, however, to
provide adequate aeration for the
roots, by incorporating
airstones
into the system.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.
NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE
(NFT)
A common system used for
lettuce.
AEROPONICS
A system used in the tropics
(where root cooling may be
desirable) and also for specific
crops (eg seed potatoes).
The problem with these 3
systems is to provide the plant
roots with an adequate oxygen
supply.
SUBSTRATE CULTURE
SYSTEMS
SOLID MEDIA SYSTEMS
Natural Gravel/sand substrates
Manufactured substrates
Natural organic substrates
NATURAL GRAVEL/SAND
These have been replaced in
recent years with lighter more
easily handled substrates.
MANUFACTURED SUBSTRATES
ROCK WOOL.
Manufactured by melting granite
at high temperature and spinning
it into a standardised candy
floss-like slab with over 90% of
air space!!!
Disadvantages:
Cost
Disposal
Bark
Sawdust
Peat
Coir
NATURAL ORGANIC SUBSTRATES
BARK
Need to add nitrogen
Potential for root diseases
SAWDUST
Only certain sawdust sources
are suitable
Nitrogen required to prevent
plant nutrition deficiencies
Danger from consolidation
(poor aeration)
PEAT
Probably the standard
Environmental concern about
decreasing peat bogs
COIR
The new boy on the street
Excellent water and aeration
characteristics
Normally a waste product
Easy disposal (mulch) after use.
HOWEVER GOOD
HYDROPONIC CROPS
REQUIRE CONTROL OF
NUTRIENT LEVELS
Conductivity 2.0 4.0 6.0 8.0
Brix 4.7 5.8 6.1 6.1
Yield/pl (kg) .63 .50 .39 .30
IN THE WINTER MONTHS IT IS
NORMAL TO USE A HIGHER
CONDUCTIVITY SOLUTION
THAN IN THE SUMMER
MONTHS
IN ORDER TO ENSURE
GOOD FRUIT QUALITY.
IF THE FISH TANK SOLUTION
HAS TOO LOW A
CONDUCTIVITY
IT MAY BE NECESSARY TO
INCREASE THE
CONDUCTIVITY IN THE
SOLUTION
THIS WILL BE VERY
DIFFICULT TO ACHIEVE WITH
A LIQUID SYSTEM
BUT COULD BE ACHIEVED BY
USING REVERSE OSMOSIS
TO CONCENTRATE THE
NUTRIENT SOLUTION
THUS CLEAN WATER COULD
BE RETURNED TO THE FISH,
AND THE NUTRIENT RICH
SOLUTION USED FOR THE
PLANTS
BUT MIGHT ALSO BE
ACHIEVED BY
REDUCING THE IRRIGATION
FREQUENCY WHEN USING A
SOLID MEDIA
THIS WOULD ENTAIL THE
MONITORING OF THE
DRAINAGE SOLUTION
IN NETHERLANDS
TOMATOES AND FISH ARE
BEING PRODUCED
SUCCESFULLY IN THE SAME
GREENHOUSE
IS AQUAPONICS AN
ORGANIC
SOLUTION?
There is the potential to
sell the crops as certified
organic, (provided that no
unacceptable pesticides
have been applied) as it is
produced entirely from
natural manure (fish
waste).
However in some countries
organic certification is not
permitted for hydroponic
crops.
It is difficult to see any logic
in such a philosophy as not
only are the plants only
using organically derived
nutrients, but the
aquaponics is far more
sustainable than any soil
based organic system.
In New Zealand it is
possible to produce
organically certified salmon
provided that the salmon
are fed with organically
certified feed.
We find this decision totally
nonsensical.
The organic certification
authorities have not asked
the question of what is soil?
An aquaponic system
comprises all of these apart
from solid particles, and
these could be easily added
to the system!!!
There is clearly a need for the
organic people to
reconsider
I WOULD LIKE TO RAISE
ANOTHER CONTENTIOUS
ISSUE.
PRECISELY THE SAME
ARGUMENTS APPLY TO
SEA BASED
AQUACULTURE TO LAND
BASED AQUACULTURE
THE EXCEPTION MAY BE
WITH THE FILTER
FEEDERS SUCH AS
OYSTERS
SALMON CAGES CERTAINLY
POLLUTE THE OCEAN,
AND WE MAY
EVENTUALLY NEED TO
DEVELOP METHODOLGY
TO RECYCLE THEIR
WASTE PRODUCTS
PERHAPS SOME FORM OF
SEA BASED AQUAPONICS
PRODUCING ALGAE OR
SEA WEED?
OR PERHAPS IN THE
FUTURE ALL OF OUR FISH
WILL BE PRODUCED IN
TANKS ON LAND
THERE IS A SCHOOL OF
THOUGHT THAT BELIEVES
THAT THE OCEANS
SHOULD NOT BE FISHED,
BUT SIMPLY BE USED AS A
SOURCE OF BIODIVERSITY
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR
ATTENTION.