Master's Seminar on Aquaponics by Md Suman.pptx

Course Seminar [HOR-550]
on
aquaponics : PIONEERING THE FUTURE FARMING
Presented By-
 Md Suman
 ID – 20412HOR009
 M.Sc.(Ag.), Horticulture (2020-22)
 Email- sumanmdd19@gmail.com
Supervisor-
 Prof. Anand Kumar Singh
 Department of Horticulture,
 Institute of Agricultural
Sciences
 Banaras Hindu University
 Varanasi-221 005, (UP). 2

3
 [1]. Aquaponics
 [2]. History
 [3]. Development of modern aquaponics
 [4]. Biological components
 [5]. Balancing of an aquaponic system
 [6]. Installation
 [7]. Experimental studies
 [8]. Opportunities and challenges
 [9]. Conclusion
 [10].References
Contents

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[1]. Aquaponics
 An ecologically sustainable model, aquaponics — not to be confused with hydroponics
— combines hydroponics with aquaculture.
 Aquaculture is the captive rearing and production of fish and other aquatic animal and
plant species under controlled conditions and hydroponics is the method of growing
agriculture crops ,only by applying nutrients through water ,without the use of soil.
 Both hydroponics and aquaponics have clear benefits over soil-based gardening that
lessened adverse environmental impacts, reduced consumption of resources, faster plant
growth, and higher yields. Many researchers believe that aquaponics is a better option
over hydroponics when choosing a soilless growing system.

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Fish produce waste
Convert waste to fertilizer
Filter water for fish
Clean
water
to
fish

[2]. History
 Aquaponics is a term that was coined in the 1970s, but the practice has ancient roots –
although there is some debate on its first occurrence.
 The earliest ancient example of one branch may be the lowland Maya, followed by the
Aztecs, who raised plants on rafts on the surface of a lake in approximately 1000 A.D.
 Aztecs (14th to 16th century) - used the first form of aquaponics, ‘Chinampas’.
Chinampas are networks of canals and stationary artificial islands in which they cultivated
crops on the islands using nutrient-rich mud and water from the canals.
6
Cont.…6

 Rice in combination with fish was
in South China, Thailand,
and Indonesia (17th -18th century)
 Floating aquaponics was in China
(18th -19th century)
 Floating gardens was in Dal lake,
Kashmir (19th century)
7
(FAO, 2010)
…medieval history

[3]. Development of Modern Aquaponics:
 The term aquaponics is often attributed to the various works of the New Alchemy
Institute(Canada) and the works of Dr. Mark McMurtry at the North Carolina
State University (USA).
 In 1969, John and Nancy Todd and William McLarney founded the New
Alchemy Institute. The culmination of their efforts was the construction of a
prototype Bio-shelter, the “Ark”.
 The Ark was a solar-powered, self- sufficient, bio-shelter designed to
accommodate the year-round needs of a family of four, using holistic methods to
provide fish, vegetables and shelter.
 At the same times in the 1970s, research on using plants as a natural filter within
fish farm systems began, most notably by Dr. James Rakocy at the University of
the Virgin Islands (USA). By 1997, Rakocy and his colleagues developed the
use of deep water culture hydroponic grow beds in a large-scale aquaponics
system.
 Meanwhile, in the mid 1980’s, Dr. Mark McMurtry and Professor Doug Sanders
created the first known closed loop aquaponic system.
8

Year Institute Contribution
1969 New Alchemy Institute , Canada Coined the term ‘Aquaponics’,
developed an integrated
bioshelter design ‘Ark’
1970 North Carolina State University ,USA Reciprocating aquaponics
techniques
1997 University of the Virgin Islands, USA Deep water culture grow beds in a
large-scale aquaponic system
2002 Aquaculture Research Station,
Lethbridge, Canada
Commercial aquaponics - raising
high value crops
2006 Bangladesh Agricultural University Low cost backyard aquaponics
systems
9
…continued

[4].Biological Components
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1. Bacteria
2. Crops
3. Fishes

Nitrifying Bacteria
 Ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB)
 Nitrite-oxidizing bacteria (NOB)
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Bacteria

Table 1. Factors for Maintaining a Healthy Bacterial
Colony
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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)

Heterotrophic Bacteria
 Decomposition of solid, fish waste and plant waste
 Fish retains 30- 40% of the food they eat
 Waste - 60 to 70%
 Waste released as ammonia is about 50 to 70%.
13

 Sulphate reducing bacteria produces hydrogen sulphide
[H2S].
 Denitrifying bacteria convert nitrate back to atmosphere.
 Pathogenic bacteria like Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp.
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Unwanted Bacteria

 Leafy Greens – lettuce, amaranthus, chinese cabbage, spinach etc.
 Fruiting Vegetables - tomato, pepper, eggplant, cucumber etc.
 Root Vegetables And Tubers are less commonly grown crops.
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(FAO, 2010)
Commonly Grown Vegetables

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Performance in Aquaponics
Lettuce have higher yield (500-750g) under
aquaponics
Cucumber yielded large sized fruits(19-22cm)
under aquaponics
(Borg et al., 2011)
( Enduta et al., 2014)

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Plant Nutrients
 Macronutrients and micronutrients exist in solid and
fish waste.
 Some nutrients may be limited in quantity - potassium,
calcium and iron.
 Foliar spray of nutrients improves performance

Table 2. Water Quality Requirements
Factors Range
pH 5.5-7.5
Dissolved oxygen >3mg/l
Temperature 18- 30 °C
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The addition of calcium carbonate can be used to supplement
calcium in aquaponics with the added benefit of buffering pH
(Harry and Adam, 2009)

Planting Design
Batch Planting
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Staggered Planting

Pest and Disease Control
 Chemical pesticides are not so followed in aquaponics
 Production may be Completely organic
 Choose healthy and protected conditions for aquaponics like
net houses, greenhouses etc.
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(FAO, 2010)

Botanical Insecticides
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Botanical insecticides Effect on pests Effect on fish
Tobacco
(Aqueous extract)
Neuro-toxic insecticide Toxic to fish
Neem
(Azadirachta indica)
Potent antifeedant. Needs
repeated treatments, every
10 days
Toxic to fish, may be used
as foliar spray away from
water
Pyrethrum
(Chrysanthemum
cinerariaefolium)
Natural neurotoxic
insecticide.
Toxic to fish, may be used
as foliar spray away from
water
(Bills and Arnon, 2007)

Common Freshwater Fish Species
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Tilapia Carp
Catfish Rainbow trout
Flathead mullet

Species Temperature
(°C)
Dissolved
oxygen
(mg/l)
Crude protein
in feed (%)
Common carp 25-30 > 4 30-38
Tilapia 27-30 >4 28-32
Catfish 24-30 >3 25-36
Rainbow trout 14-16 >6 42
Flathead mullet 20-27 >4 30-34
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Table 3. Water Quality Parameters and Feed
Requirement
(Bates and Davis, 2004)

Fish Feed and Nutrition
 Correct balance of proteins, carbohydrates, fats,
vitamins and minerals should be maintained.
 Younger fish (fry and fingerlings) requires diet
rich in protein
 Lipids - through fish oil mixed in the feed
 Carbohydrates increase energy value of the feed,
starch and sugars - bind the feed together
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(FAO, 2010)

Fish Health
 Maintain good water quality
 Maintain low stress environment and overcrowding
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Low density of fish High density of fish

Harvesting and Staggered Stocking
 Constant biomass of fish in the tanks constant
supply of nutrients to the plants
For Staggered stocking
 Maintain three age classes, within the same tank
 Every three months, mature fishes are harvested.
 Immediately restocked with new fingerlings.
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(FAO, 2010)

Causes and Symptoms of Stress
Causes of stress Symptoms of stress
Temperature outside of range,
fast temperature changes
Poor appetite
Ammonia, nitrite or toxins present in
high levels
Rubbing or scraping the sides of the tank,
red blotches on body
Malnourishment, overcrowding Fins are clamped close to their body,
physical injuries
Poor water quality Fast breathing
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(Kian et al., 2010)

[5].Balancing of an Aquaponic System
Balance between of fish, amount of plants and size
of bacterial colony.
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Balancing
Nitrate balance
Plant - fish
balance

Nitrate Balance
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Fish biomass exceeding the bacterial
carrying capacity, accumulation of
toxic ammonia and nitrite
Fish and bacteria - correctly sized,
but the system imbalanced due to
few plants
Cont.…

…nitrate balance
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Fish and bacteria - correctly sized, but
system imbalanced due to many plants
A balanced system requires fish, plants
and bacteria in dynamic equilibrium.
(FAO, 2010)

Plant - Fish Balance
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Growing area
Leafy green- 20 to
25 plants/m²
Fruiting
vegetables- 4 to 8
plants/m²
Feed
Leafy green- 40 to
50g/m²/day
Fruiting plants-
50 to 80g/m²/day
Feeding rate
1–3% of total
body weight/ day
(FAO, 2010)

 7 Rules-of-thumb To Follow In Aquaponics (FAO, Aug19, 2015)
 1). Choose the tank carefully.
 2). Ensure adequate aeration and water circulation
 3). Maintain good water quality.
 4). Do not overcrowd the tanks.
 5). Avoid overfeeding, and remove any uneaten food.
 6). Choose and space the plants wisely.
 7). Maintain balance between plants and animals.
 Outdoor - domestic/small-scale aquaponics
 Protected condition - commercial / large scale aquaponics
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Site Selection
[6]. Installation

Structural Components
1. Fish Tank: Plastic ,fibre glass or concrete
2. Air pumps: Inject air into water through air pipes and
air stones
3. Filters: Mechanical filter, Biofilter
4. Planting area :
Varies with designs :
 Deep Water Culture (DWC)
 Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
 Media Bed Method (MBM)
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Mechanical filter Biofilter
Filters

Deep Water Culture (DWC)
Deep water culture (DWC) is a hydroponic method of plant production by
means of suspending the plant roots in a solution of nutrient-rich,
oxygenated water.
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Plant growing area
Fish tank Filters
Floating raft
Planting Area Designs

Nutrient Film Technique (NFT)
Developed in the 1960s by Dr. Allen Cooper,
Nutrient Film Technique, or NFT, is a popular and versatile hydroponics system. In that
the system uses a pump to deliver thin film of nutrients water to the grow tray and a
drain pipe to recycle the unused nutrient solution.
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PVC pipe

Media Bed Method (MBM))
The media bed aquaponic system consists of a grow bed with hydroponic media, such as
expanded clay pebbles or gravel, and a fish tank area. The water is circulated from the fish tank
to the grow bed where bacteria and plants remove the nutrients from the effluent.
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Fish tank
Plant growing area
Filters
Media bed

Coir 40
Rice husk
Vermiculite
Pumice:
A pumice stone is
formed when lava and
water mix together
Perlite
has a relatively high
water content
Gravel
Wood fibre
Rockwool:
This wool-like material
is made by melting
basaltic rock and
spinning it into fine
fibers
Expanded clay
pebbles:
These porous
pebbles absorb
moisture and allow for
fantastic drainage of
water from the roots of
the plant
MEDIA: Lava rock is widely used by many aquaponics growers as grow media
because they are lightweight and have plenty of surface area. Lava rocks are typically
pH neutral, porous, and provide good drainage and aeration to the system.

41
MBM
The media beds serve as very efficient
filters, both mechanical and biological.
Unlike the NFT and DWC systems, the
media bed technique utilises a combination
filter and plant growing area. In addition, the
media bed provides a place for
mineralization to occur, which is absent in
the NFT and DWC systems

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 Research conducted at University of Florida showed that cucumber crop can
be successfully adopted with aquaponics system. This is estimated that
45.300 Kg (100 pound) of fish will produce sufficient nitrogen for 4050
lettuce or 540 tomato plants when they are fed with 3 % of their body
weight. (Richard Tysno, University of Florida – 2013).
 [1].Effect of aquaponics system on fruit number of polyhouse cucumber
(Multistar variety)
 [2].The Production of Catfish and Vegetables in an Aquaponic System
 [3].Effects of foliar application of some macro- and micro-nutrients on
tomato plants in aquaponic and hydroponic systems
 [4].Effects of foliar spray of different Fe sources on pepper (Capsicum
annum L.) plants in aquaponic system .

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[1]. Effect of aquaponics system on fruit number of
polyhouse cucumber (Multistar variety)
(Shanbhag, 2014), Pune
Objective of study:
1. To test feasibility of aquaponics (fish + crop production) in
farm tank and polyhouse farming.
2. To compare performance of crop of aquaponics system with
control crop.

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1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Aquaponics 28.17 32.78 32.49 30.05 5
31.7 8
33.0 36.36
Control 29.39 23.99 20.86 27.78 6
21.4 15.3 7 10.993
0.00
5.00
10.00
15.00
20.00
25.00
30.00
35.00
40.00
Yield comparison
Figure 1: Yield per row of Aquaponics and control treatment

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0.0
2.0
4.0
6.0
8.0
10.0
12.0
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Fruits / Plant
Aquaponics Control
Figure 2: Average number of fruits per plant per row
Figure 2 shows that, aquaponics treatment has yielded 9.3 fruits per plant where
as in control treatment it was 7.7 fruits / plant.

46
[2].The Production of Catfish and Vegetables in an
Aquaponic System
(Mamat et al., 2016), Malaysia
Objective:
To asses the growth of African catfish
and three vegetable types viz red
amaranth, green-red amaranth and
water spinach in an aquaponic system.

47
Figure 3: Average fish length per fish (cm)
integrated with hydroponic cultivations of red
amaranth, green-red amaranth and water
spinach.
Figure 4: Average fish weight per fish (g)
integrated with hydroponic cultivations of
red amaranth, green-red amaranth and
water spinach.

48
Figure 5: weight of plants cultivated in the aquaponic system (RA: Red Amaranth;
GRA: Green-red Amaranth; WS: Water Spinach).
 Studies have indicated that nutrients in water increased with culture time.

49
[3]. Effects of foliar application of some macro- and micro-
nutrients on tomato plants in aquaponic and hydroponic systems
(Roosta and Hamidpour, 2011), Iran.
Figure 6. Schematic representation of the (a) aquaponic and (b) hydroponic systems.

50
Figure 7. Effect of foliar application of macro- and micro-nutrients on the cluster
number of tomato plants in aquaponic and hydroponic system. Bars with
different letters show significant differences at P≤0.05 (Duncan).

51
Figure 8. Effects of foliar application of macro- and micro-nutrients on the yield
of tomato plants in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. Bars with different letters
show significant differences at P≤0.05 (Duncan).

52
[4].Effects of foliar spray of different Fe sources on pepper
(Capsicum annum L.) plants in aquaponic system
Table 4. Effects of foliar application of various Fe sources on the shoot, leaf and
fruit number, fruit mass, plant height, and stem diameter of pepper plants in
aquaponic system
Treatments
Shoot
number
(shoot
plant−1)
Leaf
number
(leaf
plant−1)
Fruit
number
(fruit
plant−1)
Fruit
mass(g
plant−1)
Plant
height
(cm)
Stem
diameter
(mm)
Control 1.66 27.66 2.00 59.62 38.25 6.24
FeSO4 2.50 48.66 5.96 186.51 53.20 8.40
Fe-EDTA 2.33 41.83 5.00 119.63 49.48 7.37
Fe-EDDHA 2.46 40.00 4.83 146.02 40.08 7.75
(Roosta and Mohsenian, 2011), Iran.

53
Figure 8. Effects of foliar application of various Fe sources on the Fv/Fm values in young
(A) and old (B) leaves of pepper plants in aquaponic system. Bars with different
letters show significant differences at P≤ 0.05 (Duncan).

54
Figure 9. Effects of foliar application of various Fe sources on the shoot (A) and
root (B) Fe concentrations of pepper plants in aquaponic system. Bars with different
letters show significant differences at P ≤ 0.05 (Duncan).

55
[8]. Opportunities & Challenges
Opportunities Challenges
Sustainable and intensive food
production system
High initial cost. (Rs.2.5-3 crore/acre)
[Source: Business Standard Editorial,
First Published: Fri, March 08 2019.]
Two products from one input Chances of system imbalancing
Extremely water efficient Scientific knowledge about
components
Environmentally safe Can’t grow all crops.
may be completely organic Power consuming.

 Urba grow Aquaponics, Kolkata.
 India Aquaponics, Chandigarh.
 Madhavi Farms,Bengaluru (First and Largest Aquaponics)[Source: Deccan Herald
Editorial, Jan10, 2018]
 Red Otter,Kotabagh,Uttarakhand
 Nanniode Aquaponics RDC, Perumatty, Kerala(Largest Commercial Aquaponics).
 Annapoorna Aquaponics,Kozhikode,Kerala.
 South India has led the way, with aquaponics. Cherai, a coastal village near
Kochi has over 200 projects. In 2016, motivated by low crop yield due to over
farming of soil, the Pallipuram Service Cooperative Bank (PSCB) launched an
aquaponics project.[Source: The Hindu Editorial, Aug8, 2019].

57
“Small in Scale, Big in Value”
2022 : The International Year of Artisanal Fisheries
and Aquaculture (IYAFA 2022)

[9]. Conclusion:
 The world is facing a number of serious problems of which population rise, climate
change, soil degradation, water scarcity and food security are among the most important.
To face these challenges, sustainable food production with less water and energy
consumption is becoming more and more important.
 Aquaponics is coming of age and is rapidly developing as the need for sustainable food
production.
 Aquaponics could relieve the environment by the double use of water and nutrients and
increase the profit by producing two cash crops.
 The combination of aquaculture and hydroponic gives a new insight into increasing the
efficiency of food production which respects principles of sustainable agriculture.
 Aquaponics is more profitable than hydroponics.
 Aquaponics agriculture in Indian conditions mainly to increase productivity of agriculture
per unit area of land with less use of water.
 To date, more than 150 different vegetables, herbs, flowers and small trees have been
grown successfully in aquaponic systems, including research, domestic and commercial
units(FAO,2015)
 There’s an old Chinese proverb: “Give a man a fish you’ll feed him for a day, teach
him how to fish, you’ll feed him for life.” 58

[10]. References
 Goddek, S., Delaide, B., Mankasingh, U., Ragnarsdottir K.V., Jijakli, M. H. and Thorarinsdottir, R. (2015).
Challenges of sustainable and commercial aquaponics, Sustainability, 7(4): 4199–4224.
 Mamat, N. Z., Shaari, M. I. and Wahab N. A. A. A. (2016). The production of catfish and vegetables in an
aquaponic system, Fisheries And Aquaculture Journal, 7(4): 1-3.
 McMurtry, M. R., Sanders, D. C., Cure, J. D., Hodson. R. G., Haning. B. C. and Amand E. C. S. (1997).
Efficiency of water use of an integrated fish/vegetable co-culture system. Journal World Aquaculture
Society, 28(4): 420–428.
 Rakocy, J. E., Shultz, R.C., Bailey, D.S. and Thoman, E.S. (2004). Aquaponic production of tilapia and
basil: comparing a batch and staggered cropping system. Acta Horticulturae (ISHS), 648: 63-69.
 Roosta, H. R. and Hamidpour, M., (2011). Effects of foliar application of some macro-and micro-nutrients
on tomato plants in aquaponic and hydroponic systems. Scientia Horticulturae., 129: 396-402.
 Roosta H.R. and Mohsenian Y. (2012). Effects of foliar spray of different Fe sources on pepper (Capsicum
annum L.) plants in aquaponic system. Scientia Horticulturae, 146: 182-191.
 Shanbhag, R., (2014). Effect of aquaponics system on yield of polyhouse cucumber (Multistar Variety).
Vigyan Ashram, Pabal District, Pune, India.
 Suhl, J., Dannehl, D., Kloas, W., Baganz, D., Jobs, S., Scheibe, G and Schmidt, U., (2016). Advanced
aquaponics: evaluation of intensive tomato production in aquaponics vs. conventional hydroponics.
Agriculture Water Management, 178: 335–344.
59

Videos: [1]. Drew Hopkins-Co-Owner (Viridis Aquaponics)
[2]. K. Vijaykumar-owner (Madhavi Farms)
60

61
There’s an old Chinese proverb: “Give a man a
fish you’ll feed him for a day, or teach
him how to fish, you’ll feed him for life.”
Eventhough our resources are finite…
Infinite opportunities are there, for feeding our
future…
THANK YOU

Master's Seminar on Aquaponics by Md Suman.pptx

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