Aquaponics nomenclature matters: It is about principles and technologies and not as much about coupling

Abstract

The food production system ‘aquaponics’ has moved a long way from its inceptions in the 1970s and 1980s. This paper suggests that it is the principle of aquaponics that should define what aquaponics is and then the rest follows according to systems and technologies. This paper supports the Palm et al. (Aquac Int. 2018;26(3):813–42) position of having a nutrient supply threshold (>50%) from the feed via the aquatic organisms to the plants. We test the most recent alternative definitions (e.g. Baganz et al. Rev Aquac. 2021;14:252–64) that overcomplicate existing definitions and nomenclature. Any new definition needs to be referential to existing terms and properly tested. This paper does exactly that, concluding that several recent changes by Baganz et al. (Rev Aquac. 2021;14:252–64) are not needed. We also debate that the key principle behind aquaponics is ‘all about coupling’. Whilst coupling is an important aspect, existing technologies and those that will emerge are far more complex. Finally, this paper highlights the idiosyncrasies in the term aquaponics and we suggest an alternative term ‘aquaorganoponics’, which in essence better describes the principles of aquaponics (s.s.) which transfers natural organic compounds combined with microbes in water from the aquaculture unit to the plants.

Horticulture Irrigation Systems and Aquaculture Water Usage: A Perspective for the Use of Aquaponics to Generate a Sustainable Water Footprint

“…Aquaponics could be a food production systems that permit a better understanding of water usage and water optimization using different hydroponic system designs for plant production [141,149,199]. The implementation of these system designs depend on the local space and characteristics, the availability of freshwater and the regional climate because of water evaporation (145).…”

“…Food production in aquaponic systems could be a feasible solution to save water and to create a positive water footprint [180], due to the incorporation of fish and plant production in one system and the reuse of aquacultural wastewater for plan production [141]. A lot of authors only mention in their aquaponic water footprint investigation the water reuse in the production of fish and plant [162] and do not consider the needed water resources for water substitutions, evaporation losses, possible water leaks in the system or the water employed for the animal feed.…”

“…This water dependency makes it viable to not only increment the water usage of agricultural irrigation systems [138], water recirculation and the use of different filters in aquaculture [139]. Moreover, the combination of these two production methods for a general water footprint optimization [140] Therefore, the incorporation of both production methods into one system, called aquaponics [141], benefits the use of two central resources for human activities, food production and water usage optimization [142]. by using only one water income to produce two proteins, fish and plant [143].…”

“…Aquaponic food production systems are based on water usage optimization employing one income of freshwater for fish production and reutilizing this nutrient enriched water income, fish wastewater residues [144], as hydration and fertilizer to promote plant growth [145,146]. The combination of fish and plant production in one aquaponic system can have different designs for food production, which have been modified and adapted in the last decades [141]. The most common aquaponic system design is based on water recirculation in a single loop between the fish tank and the hydroponic plant production system [147], also called coupled aquaponic systems using fish residues directly as plant nutrition [148].…”

Horticultural Irrigation Systems and Aquacultural Water Usage: A Perspective for the Use of Aquaponics to Generate a Sustainable Water Footprint

“…Moreover, the combination of these two production methods achieves general water footprint optimization [139]. Therefore, the incorporation of both production methods into one system, called aquaponics [140], benefits the use of two central resources for human activities, food production, and water usage optimization [141], by using only one water income to produce foods that contain proteins of plant and animal origin, among other nutrients [142].…”