Effects of Hydraulic Loading Rate on Spatial and Temporal Water Quality Characteristics and Crop Growth and Yield in Aquaponic Systems

Yang, Ta‐Hui; Kim, Hye-Ji

doi:10.3390/horticulturae6010009

Cited by 39 publications

(35 citation statements)

References 64 publications

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“…Nutrient requirements for optimal growth of plants varies by species, growth stage, temperature, pH, and other environmental factors (Hawkesford et al, 2011;Abbasi et al, 2017;Prieto et al, 2017). The yield of all three plant species increased significantly (p < 0.05) with each harvest (Figure 2), which was similar to the result published by Yang and Kim (2020b). They suggested the increased production was related to the maturity of the system.…”

Section: Plantssupporting

confidence: 84%

Optimal Dietary Crude Protein in Commercial Feeds for Shrimp and Halophytes in Marine Aquaponic Biofloc Systems

Chu

Brown

2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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Formulated diets for animals is the primary source of nutrients in aquaponic systems that need to maintain beneficial bacteria as well as for plants. Dietary protein is one of the expensive macronutrients in fish diets, especially when fishmeal is used, and it is the source of nitrogen (N) for other biotic components. Biofloc has the potential to serve as the supplement diet for shrimp and reduce the need of expensive protein. However, it is not clear if low dietary protein will be adequate to support the three organisms (animals, plants, and bacteria) in an aquaponic system operated with biofloc technology. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of shrimp feed with different protein concentrations (30, 35, or 40%) on water quality and the growth performance of Pacific whiteleg shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) and three edible halophytic plants (Atriplex hortensis, Salsola komarovii, and Plantago coronopus) in biofloc-based marine aquaponics. The experiment was conducted for 12 weeks, the plants were harvested and seedlings transplanted every 4 weeks. Dietary protein content did not influence shrimp growth in the current study, indicating that feeds with lower protein concentrations can be used in biofloc-based marine aquaponic systems. During the early and mid-stages of cultivation, plants grew better when supplied diets with higher protein concentration, whereas no differences were observed for later harvests. Hence, for maximum production with mature systems or in the scenario of high concentration of nitrate, providing a higher protein concentration feed in the early stages of system start-up, and switching to a lower protein concentration feed in later stages of cultivation was recommended.

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Section: Plantssupporting

confidence: 84%

Optimal Dietary Crude Protein in Commercial Feeds for Shrimp and Halophytes in Marine Aquaponic Biofloc Systems

Chu

Brown

2022

Front. Mar. Sci.

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“…The water temperature in aquaponic systems was higher than those in hydroponics. Lettuce is a cool-season crop, of which growth can be affected by air or root zone temperature [40], and, therefore, the higher water temperatures in aquaponic systems may be one of the causes of the reduced plant growth.…”

Section: Growth and Yield Of Plant And Fish Cropsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing Nutrient Composition and Concentration in Tomato-, Basil-, and Lettuce-Based Aquaponic and Hydroponic Systems

Yang

Kim

2020

Water

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Aquaponic nutrient studies often use various types of water containing high levels of mineral nutrients for water supply, making it difficult to accurately determine deficient nutrients limiting crop yield and quality across the systems. To avoid interference with background nutrients, we used reverse osmosis water in this study. The objectives were to identify critical nutrients that affect the yield and quality of cherry tomato-, basil-, and lettuce by characterizing nutrient composition and concentration in aquaponic systems in comparison to hydroponic systems. Daily release rate (mg L−1) of macronutrients derived from fish feed (41% protein, 1.1% phosphorus, 1% fish weight) was in decreasing order of SO4–S (16) > PO4–P (2.4) > NO3–N (1.0) > K (0.8) > Cl (0.5) > NH4–N (0.4) > Ca (0.2) > NO2–N (0.13) > Na (0.11) > Mg (0.02), in which daily inputs of Mg and Ca in aquaponics were found to be only 1–2% and 4–6%, respectively, of those in hydroponics. Subsequently, the average concentrations of all nutrients were significantly lower in aquaponics than in hydroponics during a 3-month production except for Cl, NH4–N, NO2–N, and Na. The concentration of Mg remained below 5 mg L−1 in all aquaponic systems, while the concentration of Ca rapidly decreased in tomato-based aquaponics, especially during fruiting. SPAD value (chlorophyll content) was associated with concentrations of leaf N, Mg, and/or Ca. Specifically, lower SPAD value was correlated with lower leaf Mg and Ca for tomato and lower leaf Mg for basil but neither Mg nor Ca for lettuce. The aquaponic solution contained nearly six-times higher Na than the hydroponic solution, resulting in three-times higher Na concentration in the edible portion of the crops. Compared to a lettuce-based aquaponic system, tomato- and basil-based systems retained more desirable water quality parameters (i.e., stable pH, lower temperature), had lower electrical conductivity (EC) via greater biomass production and, therefore, more efficient nutrient removal, and had lower feed conversion rate and higher fish biomass increment. Regardless of crop species, vegetative shoot biomass was significantly reduced in aquaponics than in hydroponics. However, the marketable yield of tomatoes was similar between aquaponics and hydroponics, while those of basil and lettuce were reduced in aquaponics by 56% and 67%, respectively, in comparison to hydroponics. Our results highlighted potential solutions to design proper nutrient management practices essential for the development of successful aquaponic production systems. Considering that ingested fish feed does not provide sufficient levels of Mg and/or Ca for crop production, it is suggested to supplement Mg before crop transplanting and Ca before fruiting of fruity crops to improve crop growth and quality in aquaponic systems, especially when high-quality water is used for water supply.

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“…Although HLR dictates optimum contact time for nutrient and microbe interaction with plant roots (Wongkiew et al 2017), very few studies have reported on the effects of HLR on microbial ecology and diversity in aquaponics. The major focus has been on optimising HLR for water quality, as well as plant and fish growth and health (Endut et al 2010;Shete et al 2016;Yang and Kim 2020). Endut et al (2010) compared five HLRs ranging between 0.64 and 3.20 m day −1 and reported an optimal HLR for fish production, plant growth, and nutrient removal of 1.28 m day −1 .…”

Section: Hydraulic Loading Ratementioning

confidence: 99%

The complex microbiome in aquaponics: significance of the bacterial ecosystem

et al. 2021

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Purpose Aquaponics is a technology that has minimal impact on the environment and which is often promoted as a solution for sustainable food production. Developing aquaponics sustainably requires a thorough understanding of the biological components of the system. Recent reports on the bacterial populations of aquaponics systems using new DNA sequencing technologies are revealing a complex and diverse microbial ecosystem. The purpose of this review is to present information on microbial composition and various factors affecting bacterial activity in aquaponics systems. Approaches for establishing a bacterial ecosystem during the setup of an aquaponics system, and microbiological safety of aquaponics products are also highlighted. Methods This review was developed by evaluating and synthesising current literature of peer-reviewed publications related to aquaponics and microbial communities. Based on the results from credible academic journals, publications were categorised into five groups: methods used to characterise microbiomes, biofiltration microorganisms, bacterial diversity, biofilter establishment, and safety of aquaponics products. Results The microbial ecosystem is essential for biological filtration of water through the mineralisation of nutrients required for plant growth in an integrated system. The aquaponics microbiome is complex, and bacterial composition varies between the different compartments of these systems. Establishing these bacterial ecosystems is essential for optimal functioning of aquaponics. At the phylum level, Proteobacteria and Bacteroidetes are dominant in aquaponics systems. Despite bacteria being fundamental to aquaponics, there are currently no reports of human pathogens in aquaponics products. Conclusion Knowledge of the composition of bacterial populations in aquaponics systems will enhance understanding of relationships and functions within the microbiome. This in turn will allow for the establishment of sustainable and healthy aquaponics systems for food production.

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Effects of Hydraulic Loading Rate on Spatial and Temporal Water Quality Characteristics and Crop Growth and Yield in Aquaponic Systems

Cited by 39 publications

References 64 publications

Optimal Dietary Crude Protein in Commercial Feeds for Shrimp and Halophytes in Marine Aquaponic Biofloc Systems

Optimal Dietary Crude Protein in Commercial Feeds for Shrimp and Halophytes in Marine Aquaponic Biofloc Systems

Characterizing Nutrient Composition and Concentration in Tomato-, Basil-, and Lettuce-Based Aquaponic and Hydroponic Systems

The complex microbiome in aquaponics: significance of the bacterial ecosystem

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