1) The document describes a study on a double recirculation aquaponics system (DRAS) that integrated tilapia fish farming and tomato plant cultivation. 2) The system produced 243.3kg of tilapia and 1005.62kg of tomatoes while using 34059 liters of total water, representing a sustainable use of resources. 3) The DRAS was found to be an efficient and eco-friendly agricultural technology that uses fish waste to fertilize plants, producing both fish and plant crops from the same nutrient source in a symbiotic environment.

2. Double Recirculation Aquaponics System
Sangita Aba Khatal
Roll No. 20642
Division of Agricultural Engineering,
Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi.

3. Population Soil degradation
Food security Water scarcity
Source – (Simon et al., 2015)
By 2050 global population is expected to reach 9.6
billion with more than 75% living in urban areas

4. Degraded land in lakh hectare
204.25 144.05
140.95
97.26
91.94
80.93
Total
geographical
area is 328.7
million hectare
Degraded
land area is
120.4 million
hectare
Source- Department of
Agriculture and Cooperation,
Ministry of Agriculture
By 2030 almost half of the world will live under
high water stress condition
(FAO, 2014)

5. Protected
cultivation
Soilless
cultivation
Hydroponics
Aquaponics

6. Aquaculture
Hydroponics
Aquaponics
Source – (David et al., 2015)

7. Indian scenario in aquaculture
Current fish production of India – 9.58 mtonnes
Second largest in fish production
Average annual growth – 5.96% (marine-3.67 and inland-7.29)
Contributes 0.83% to national GDP and 4.75% to agricultural
GDP
Source-The handbook of fisheries statistics, 2014

8. Current status of protected cultivation
Country Total Greenhouse Area (Ha)
China 27,60,000
Korea 57,444
Spain 52,170
Japan 49,049
Turkey 33,515
Italy 26,500
Mexico 11,759
Netherlands 10,370
France 9,620
United
States
8,425
Crop Area (mha)
1. Total Area under
Horticultural
Crops
19.24
2. Total area under
Vegetables
7.49
3.
4.
Area under
Floriculture Crops
Area under Fruit
Crops
0.15
5.5
5. Area under
Protected
Cultivation
<.02
India
Source –Kacira, (2011)
Kacira (2011)

9. Hydroponics
Growing plants
either on a
substrate or in
an aqueous
medium with
bare roots
Source - Food and Agriculture
Organization of United Nations, 2014
No soil-borne diseases and pathogens because of sterile
conditions
We can give optimal plant requirements leading to
increased yields
 Increased water- and fertilizer-use efficiency
 Area efficient technology
Why hydroponics ?

10. Captive rearing and production of fish and other aquatic
animal and plant species under controlled conditions
Methods:
open water systems
pond culture
flow-through raceways
 Recirculation Aquaculture System (RAS)
Aquaculture
Source – FAO,2014

11. Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS)
The most efficient and
water-saving technology in
fish farming
Source – FAO,2014

12. Expensive waste -water treatment
It can lead to eutrophication and hypoxia
in the watershed and localized coastal
areas
Overgrowth of coral reefs and other
ecological and economical disturbances
Problems of RAS
Source – FAO,2014

13. An effluent from aquaculture system is a
sustainable, cost-effective and non-chemical source
of fertilizer for plants
 Organic food production
Sustainable agricultural practice
Why hydroponics should integrate with
aquaculture ?

14. Aquaponics (Single Recirculation)
Source – FAO,2014

15. Source – FAO,2014

16. Current Status and Challenges
Lower productivity
Fish and plant requirements do not always match perfectly
Restricted to grow plants with less nutrient requirement
Source– (Werner et al., 2015)

17. Double Recirculation Aquaponic
System (DRAS)
Source – (Werner et al., 2015)

18. Material and methods
They selected combination of Nile tilapia fish and Tomato plant
Used 1280 tilapia with total weight of 202kg
Stocking density ranging from 32.5-65.1 kg/cu.m
116 tomato plants were introduced after 3 days latter
Used nutrient film technology of hydroponics
Whole testing duration lasted from 6 march to 26 november

19. Fish production
243.3
kg 234.1
kg

20. Tomato production
Average tomato yield =8.89 kg/plant
1005.62 kg

21. Water use
220.6 l of water is used for 1 kg of Tilapia and 1.67 kg of
tomatoes
Total fresh water added = 132400 l (tap water = 94000 l and
condensate gained water=38400 l)
Daily water used = 3.83 % of the total volume
Thus the net introduction of tap water = 2.72 %
Cumulative water use is 34059 l
Daily water use is more in the month of june

22. Total nutrient load from RAS to hydroponic system = 25.66 kg
To optimize growth conditions some mineral fertilizers were
introduced to hydroponic unit
Fertilizer Quantity
(kg)
Kristalon Spezial 0.80
CalciNit 0.75
KHCO3 0.08
K2HPO4 2.80

23. Optimum standardized fertilizer

24. All the CO2 released by the metabolism of fish is fixed
by the tomato plants
Overall CO2 released = 778.4 kg
 Tomato plant can fix 1339 Kg CO2
 Net sink of 560.6 Kg CO2
Hence fostering sustainability
CO2 Balance

25. Findings
Total weight
gain=600.1kg using
736.2 kg feed

26. Benefits
Fish feed provides most of the nutrients for plant grow
Two agricultural products (fish and vegetables) are
produced from one nitrogen source (fish food)
Optimum use of fertilizers or chemical pesticides
Labour-saving
Area efficient technology
Sustainable and intensive food production system

27. Limitations
Expensive initial start-up.
 Knowledge of fish, bacteria and plant production is needed.
Mistakes or accidents can cause collapse of system.
 Daily management is mandatory.
Requires reliable access to electricity, fish seed and plant
seeds.

28. Conclusion
Aquaponics is a new , rapidly emerging, ecofriendly agricultura
technology that can integrate RAS with hydroponics
This technology is efficient because it uses fish waste to
feed the plants providing symbiotic environment for producing
fish and plants
The DRAS allows integration of value added chains for water,
nutrients, and carbon dioxide in a sustainable way
DRAS might provide the potential to increase not only
sustainability but also the productivities of fish and plants