Vegetable production through Aquaponics- One can learn about the aquaponics, its working principle, components and designs.

1. welcome
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2. Shrilatha, K. A.
M.Sc. (Horticulture)
UHS19PGM1238
vegetable production THROUGH AQUAPONICS
UNIVERSITY OF HORTICULTURAL SCIENCES, BAGALKOT
Department of Vegetable Science
College of Horticulture, Bagalkot
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3. 1 • History
2 • Introduction
3 • Structural Components
4 • Biological Components of Aquaponics
5 • Designs of Aquaponics
6 • Cost benefit
7 • Success story
8 • Conclusion
Outline
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4. • The Aztec Indians cultivated plants in agricultural islands using a system
known as chinampas.
• Rice cultivation in paddy field along with fish.
• James Rakocy at the university of virgin islands in 1979 researched and
developed the deep water grow beds in large scale aquaponics system.
• McMurtry and professor Doug Sanders created the first known closed
loop aquaponic system.
HISTORY
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5. AQUAPONICS
• Aquaponic is the “integration of hydroponic plant
production into recirculating fish aquaculture
systems” (Nelson, 2008)
• It is “symbiotic cultivation of plants and aquatic
animals in a balanced recirculating environment”
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6. Fig.1: Schematic representation of Aquaponics
The principle of the aquaponic system is the circulatory use of water
from fishponds to plants and vice versa (Maucieri et al., 2017)
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7. Aquaculture Hydroponics
Aquaponics
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10. Fig.2: Difference between Hydroponics and Aquaponics
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11. • Both systems use nutrient containing solutions of water as the growing
medium.
• In hydroponics, fertilizers and other nutrients should be added to water to
prepare a nutrient solution. However, in aquaponics fish raised water is
used as nutrient solution.
• Therefore, hydroponics is more expensive compared to aquaponics.
• In hydroponics, no bacteria are involved. In aquaponics, bacteria are used
to convert the chemicals in fish water to nitrates.
• In hydroponics system, water cannot be recycled however in aquaponic
system water can be recycled to fish tank to plants to again fish tanks.
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DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HYDROPONICS AND AQUAPONICS

12. 1. Climate change
2. Soil erosion
3. Soil pollution
4. Deforestation
5. Urbanization
6. Less area under cultivation
7. Lack of water
8. Increased population
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13. Fig.3: Schematic representation of structural components of aquaponic units.
Pattillo (2017)
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14. STRUCTURAL COMPONENTS OF AQUAPONICS
1. Culture Tanks – The culture tank is where the fish live during their
growth to the desirable market size.
2. Mechanical and biological filters – Mechanical filter will exclude the
settleable sand particles and Biofilter is an area where bacteria can
change ammonia and waste into various nitrates that plants can use as
nutrients.
3. Hydroponics component - A portion of the system where plants are
developed from excess nutrients in the water.
4. Sump - The lowest position in the system. Water flows to this Sump
point and is then pumped back into the system.
5. Air pumps - Inject air into water through air pipes and air stones.
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15. DESIGNS OF AQUAPONICS
Gosh and Chowdhury, 2019
1. Raft or Deep water culture system
2. Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
3. Media-filled bed
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16. 1. RAFT OR DEEP WATER CULTURE SYSTEM
• In a raft system (also known as float, deep channel and deep flow) the plants
are grown on Styrofoam boards (rafts) that float on top of water.
• Water flows continuously from the fish tank, through filtration components,
through the raft tank where the plants are grown and then water goes back to
the fish tank.
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17. 2. NUTRIENT FILM TECHNIQUE (NFT)
• NFT is a method in which the plants are grown in long narrow channels.
• Plants sit in small plastic cups with their roots submerged in the water to
access and absorb the nutrients.
Net cup
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18. 3. MEDIA-FILLED BED
• A tank or container is filled with gravel, perlite or other media for the
plant bed.
• This bed is periodically flooded with water from the fish tank.
• The water used by the plants.
• Then the water drains back to the fish tank.
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19. THREE BASIC BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS OFAQUAPONICS
Fig.4: Biological Components of Aquaponics
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20. 20
Tilapia
Carp
Catfish
Rainbow trout
Flathead mullet
1. FISH
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21. FISH FEED AND NUTRITION
• The fish were always fed three times daily with a pellet diet
containing protein.
• Feed contains correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats,
vitamins and minerals.
• Fish feed provides most of the nutrients required for plant growth.
• Majority of fish species utilize 20–30% of nitrogen (N) supplied by
the diet this means that about 70–80% of the N supplied by the feed
is being released as waste into the water.
• Plant based proteins can include soya meal, corn meal and wheat
meal.
FAO, 2010
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22. Keeping
Fish
Healthy
pH : 6-8
Sensitive to
light (avoid
direct light)
Fish need
oxygen (they
can die in 30
min. without
it)
Nitrates are
fairly safe for
fish (and great
for plants)
Ammonia
and nitrites
are very toxic
to fish
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23. 2. BACTERIA
Nitrifying bacteria
1. Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB):nitrosomonas
2. Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB):nitrobacter
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24. Fig.5: Flow chart of decomposing fish waste
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25. FACTORS FOR MAINTAINING A HEALTHY BACTERIAL COLONY
Factors Range
Water pH 6 - 8.5
Water temperature 17- 34°C
Dissolved oxygen 4- 8 mg/L
When water temperature drops below 10°C, multiplication rate of
bacteria reduces by 50% or more.
Johanson et al., 2004
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26. 3. COMMONLY GROWN VEGETABLES
• Any plant commonly grown in hydroponics will adopt to Aquaponics.
• Leafy vegetables – Lettuce, Amaranthus, Chinese Cabbage, Spinach
etc.
• Fruiting vegetables - Tomato, Sweet Pepper, Eggplant, Cucumber
etc.
FAO, 2010
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27. • Fish feed provides most of the nutrients required for plant growth.
• Majority of fish species utilize 20–30% of nitrogen (N) supplied by the
diet.
• This means that about 70–80% of the N supplied by the feed are being
released as waste into the water.
• Ammonia is the major end product in the breakdown of proteins in
fish.
• Fish digest the protein in their feed and excrete ammonia through their
gills and in their faeces.
NUTRIENTS
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29. Table 1. Economic analysis on costs and returns of profit-making aquaponics units
Costs/returns Value in Rs. Per 1 lakh litre of tank
capacity
Small Medium Large
Average plant area (Cents) 9 10 34
I. Capital expenditure
Cost of pond construction/renovation 56976.4 43818.4 12818.3
Expenditure on aerator 43631.5 38165.7 17767.7
Establishment of rain shelter 276296.0 303386.6 103534.5
Cost of pump 54997.1 63306.5 15489.4
Plumbing costs 54447.2 40428.5 13719.1
Establishment of grow bed 178603.0 144849.0 56320.1
Gross capital expenditure 664951.0 633954.6 219649.2
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics Nair et al.,2018
The commercial units were subdivided on the basis on tank capacity as Small: less
than 100 thousand liters; Medium: 100-200 thousand litres; and Large units with
more than 200 thousand litre capacity.
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30. Costs/returns Value in Rs. Per 1 lakh litre of tank
capacity
Small Medium Large
II. Operational expenditure
Cost of fish feed 97245.9 122074.2 33716.9
Cost of fish fingerlings 56618.0 32629.6 22519.8
Cost of plant seeds 1744.4 1021.8 695.2
Electricity charges 27392.7 20533.6 6198.6
Water charges 0.0 0.0 0.0
Labour charges 107751.8 147614.1 38062.2
Other expenditure 227.6 925.9 2619.0
Interest on fixed capital (12%) 79794.1 76074.6 26357.9
Annual depreciation (10%) 60797.5 59013.6 20683.1
Gross operating cost 431571.9 459887.3 150852.8
III. Revenue
Revenue from plant 22581.1 10982.0 22105.5
Revenue from fish 830776.7 830047.0 231937.3
Other revenue 18609.0 277.8 8566.6
Gross Revenue 871966.8 841306.8 262609.4
IV. Net operating income 440394.9 381419.5 111756.6
Nair et al.,2018
International Journal of Pure and Applied Mathematics
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31. • Reduced land area requirements
• Aquaponic gardening solves the problem of poor
soil conditions and inadequate water
• Reduced water consumption
• Accelerated plant growth rates
• Year-round production in controlled environments
• Multiple crops produced simultaneously
Advantages
Pattillo (2017)
• Expensive to setup
• Need a green house
• Setup requires technical
knowledge of aquaponics
systems
• Water needs to be
constantly monitored
• Requires electric energy
Disadvantages
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32. Success story
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35. CONCUSION
• Aquaponics is one of the best solutions to attain sustainable farming as it
allows nutrient and water reusing principles.
• Additional cost and risks associated with this system must be analyzed
before investing in aquaponics techniques.
• It can be concluded that Aquaponics is a method that has derived from
hydroponics and it is an inexpensive and efficient method to obtain
nutrient solution. Also, it is an ecofriendly method to grow plants and
aquaculture.
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