<b>Integration of Nile tilapia (<i>Oreochromis niloticus </i> L.) production <i>Origanum majorana</i> L. and <i>Ocimum basilicum </i> L. using aquaponics technology

Abstract

This study aims to evaluate the effect of different initial densities of Nile tilapia fingerlings on water quality, fish growth, and production of marjoram (Origanum majorana L.) and sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) in a recirculating aquaponic set up. The experiment was carried out on randomized block design and comprised four fish densities (0, 150, 250 and 500 fish m-3) and two crops, in which each treatment was continued for 45 days and replicated three times. Except for pH and total alkalinity, all water physicochemical parameters were increased significantly at high fish densities. In contrast, most of the biological parameters for fish were unaffected by culture density, although at the highest density crude protein percentage was significantly increased and ether extract percentage was significantly reduced. Plant productivities were highest when fish were cultured at density of 500 fish m-3 , a density that was found to be appropriate for maintaining water quality and promoting fish growth while preventing toxicity and mortality. The present study has demonstrated the technical viability of coupling Nile tilapia culture coup with aquaponic production of marjoram and sweet basil.

A Comparative Evaluation of Aquaponic and Soil Systems on Yield and Antioxidant Levels in Basil, an Important Food Plant in Lamiaceae

“…Basil produces 1.8 kg per meter square under aquaponic production, and only 0.6 kg per meter square in soil cultivation [19]. Thus, aquaponic production is considered to be more efficient and environmentally friendly than soil cultivation [20]. Basil is among one of the top priorities for farmers all over the world due to the high value that it carries as a cash crop [21][22][23].…”

Aquaponics in Brazil: Review and Survey on Waste Management Practices

“…-evaluation of different systems (Rocha et al, 2017;Pinho et al, 2021a), system scales (David et al, 2022), combinations of vegetable and fish species (Pinho et al, 2015;2017;2018;Lima et al, 2021), and vegetable and shrimp species (Pinheiro et al, 2017;2020;Lima et al, 2019;Shardong et al, 2020); -comparison of 'traditional' and 'alternative' fish species (Pinho et al, 2021c) and multitrophic systems with shrimp and tilapia cultures (Poli et al, 2019); -influence of parameters such as hydroponic solution concentrations (Sterzelecki et al, 2021), fish densities (Hundley et al 2018), nutrient supplementation techniques (Doncato and Costa, 2021), irrigation regimes (Silva et al, 2022), salinity (Lenz et al, 2017) and levels of crude protein in fish diets (Pinho et al, 2021d) on system performance; -strategies for preventing mineral deficiency in plants (Cerozi, 2020); -adoption of aquaponics for familiar food production in urban (Colucci and Sganzetta, 2021) and rural areas (Silva and Van Passel, 2020), including assessment of drivers and barriers (Brewer et al, 2021); -remote monitoring of water quality (Valero et al, 2020). Most studies do not address waste streams that stem from aquaponic systems.…”

Automated, technified and traditional aquaponic systems

“…It is important to keep in mind that when handling different crop cycles, a single planting of aquaculture species can represent a different number of plant harvests. [51] reported that for basil crops, 3 harvests were generated throughout the tilapia cycle.…”