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Aquaponics
Course Code BHT319 Fee Code S1 Duration (approx) 100 hours Qualification Statement of Attainment
Aquaponic Production Distance Education Course
Aquaponics is the integration of hydroponics with aquaculture technologies.
Hydroponics is the horticultural process of growing plants in mediums other than soil. Aquaculture is the culture of aquatic organisms (such as fish and crustaceans) for commercial purposes under controlled or partly controlled conditions. In an aquaponics system the nutrient-rich waste from fish tanks is used to provide plant food to vegetables and herbs grown in hydroponic beds. Chemicals (including nutrients) naturally increase in any water in w hi ch fish or other aquatic animals live. Some of these chemicals are the result of excrement from the animals, and others may result from decomposition of dead animal tissue or left over food (such as ammonia). Because of its nutrient composition, water that is used for aquaculture is a useful source of nutrition for growing plants.
In an ideal aquaponic system, the aquatic animals are fed and grow causing nutrient levels to increase in the water. The nutrient rich water is then transferred to the roots of plants. The plants will extract nutrients, lowering the nutrient levels in the water. The water can then be returned to the aquatic animals, and the cycle can start again.
Lesson Structure
There are 10 lessons in this course:
Introduction
What is aquaponics
History of aquaponics
Why aquaponics
World food
Urban farming
Cost benefit analysis
Is aquaponics organic
The aquaponics system
Can it be used with salt water
Types of Systems:constant flow closed reciprocating, open, deep water, floating raft
Outdoor or indoor systems
Barrel ponics, wick, NFT, etc
Advantages and disadvantages of aquaponics
Scale of operation
Aquaponic System Options
Recirculating systems
Non recirculating (open loop systems or micropnics)
Components of commercial fish rearing systems
Aquaponic sub systems
Deep water culture (DWC)
Intermittent flow (Ebb and flow)
Nutrient film technique (NFT)
Gravel bed systems
Barrel ponics systems
Equipment: commercial and backyard
System components
Tanks
Aeration devices
Solids removal: clarifiers, solids tanks, filters,screens
Biofilters
Sump and pH adjustment tank
Water heaters and chillers
Greenhouse houses and fish rearingfacilities
Alarm and back up systems
Hydroponic grow beds and types of media
Maintenance, water monitoring and adjustment
Organic vs non organic
Combining worms with growing beds
The Science of Animal and Plant Growth
Plant growth factors
How plants grow
Plant structure: roots, stems, leaves, reproductive parts
Biochemistry and aquaponics
Biochemical processes in a cell
Photosynthesis
Mechanisms of nutrient uptake
Plant nutrients
Role of pH in plant growth
Animal science
Bony fish (Osteichthyes) and their biology
Crustaceans: crabs, lobsters, shrimp and prawns
Nutrition and Controlling Growth
Water soluble chemical compounds: ions
Less water soluble chemicals
Complex chemical compounds
Understanding nutrient formulae
Hydroponic nutrient formulae
Atoms, elements and componds
How are chemical names written
What does a plant need
Calculating formulae
Mixing nutrients
Case study
Symptoms of nutrient deficiency
Nutrients in aquaponics
Variables in aquaponics: conductivity, ph control, oxygenation, beneficial bacteria in aquaponics
Selecting and Managing Animal Production: Fish and Crustaceans
Choosing what to farm
Climate
Water
Finance
Scale of operation
Other resources
Market
Availability of animals
Risk considerations
Overview of main species to grow: in Asia, South Africa, Australia, U.K., Europe, North America, South America
Trout: Rainbow, Brown
Bass
Tilapia
Catfish
Barramundi
Carp
Mullet
Sunfish
Eels
Marron
Other species: ornamental fish, crustaceans and molluscs, lgae
Sourcing fish and crustaceans
Fish food
Which type of fish food to use: pellets, live food, daphnia, brine shrimp, tubifex worms, earthworms, oil meals
Other food
Fish food production: beef heartlegumes, seafood and vegetable mix,
Earthworms: setting up, adding worms
Compost: understanding, making, conditions for compost production
Fish health
Common pests and diseasesin aquaponics
Penaeid shrimp diseases
Fish diseases
Salinity and system health
Setting up an Aquaculture System
Choosing the right sized system
Selecting the right components
Setting up the system
Getting started
Threats to the system
Using a greenhouse
Greenhouses: passive systems, active systems
Active solaqr heating
Greenhouse management
Controlling the growing environment
Light control
Air temperature control
Root temperature control
Relative humidity and vapour pressure deficit
Controlling humidity
Carbon dioxide and oxygen
Computer controls
Aquaponic Plant Culture
Selecting media for aquaponic plant culture
Types of media Growing seedlings
Seed sources
Sowing seed
Seed propagating media
Sowing seed direct
Vegetables in aquaponics
Herbs
Successional planting
Flow charting a cropControlling plant growth: stopping, spacing, disbudding, trimming, training
Pollination
Pest, disease and other crop problems: overview, identification
Pest, disease and disorder control in aquaponics
Applications and Opportunities
Aquaponics for profit
Economic thresholds
Harvest and post harvest management of fish
Harvest and post harvest management of vegetables and herbs
Harvested crop physiology: fruit ripening, respiration, when to harvesy
How to prepare salad mixes from harvested vegetables: chlorine levels in water for washing produce, preventing bruising and rots, packaging
CA and MA storage
Chilling damage and storage temperature
Harvesting and grading vegetables
Fruit grading systems
Marketing
Managing an Aquaponics Venture -including a PBL
Case study: University of the Virgin Islands system
Case study: North Carolina State University system
Case study: Speraneo system
What is an aquaponic trial?
Running an aquaponic trial
Research methodology
PBL Project: Create and present a plan with specific strategies for improving the crop production of an aquaponics system in terms of amount and quality of produce harvested based on a clear understanding of the system’s requirements and its location (greenhouse or open air; temperate, subtropical, or tropical climate).
Troubleshooting
Water supply problems
pH problems
Algae growth
Dirty, cloudy water
Water imbalances; high levels of ammonia or nitrite
Imbalances in gases
Fish troubleshooting
Controlling salinity and nutrients without damaging fish
Plant troubleshooting
Diseases
Pythium in aquaponics
Pests
Environmental physiological disorders
Nutrition problems in aquaponics
Deficiency symptoms
Correcting nutrient problems in aquaponics
Fruit set management: pollinationfloral initiation, fruit growth
Flower and fruit development problems
Fish eating plant roots
Power losses
Clogging with sediment
Fish to plant imbalances
Pathogenic contamination issues
Each lesson culminates in an assignment which is submitted to the school, marked by the school's tutors and returned to you with any relevant suggestions, comments, and if necessary, extra reading.
Deciding whether to go into Aquaponics
Like everything else, aquaponic production has both advantages and disadvantages.
The scale of operation is not really such a big concern (people practice small scale aquaponics in their home garden; while others operate large scale commercial aquaponic farms.
Before making your decision, consider the advantages and disadvantages below:
Advantages of Aquaponics
Water conservation – water use is reduced significantly in a recirculating aquaponics as it is being continually cycled through the system. No need for chemical fertilizers – the fish provide fertilizers for the plants to grow, while the plant roots provide additional filtration of the water for the fish to live in. Fish waste used in cycle – ammonia is removed from the system by filtration Less land space required – plants and fish are grown in close quarters. Can grow food all year round – this will vary depending on your local climate and the location of the aquaponics system (inside/outside) Faster growth of plants – a trial carried out in Canada noted that aquaponic growth rates can exceed hydroponic plant growth by up to four times for particular vegetables and herbs. Lower susceptibility to disease – as the aquaponics plants are grown out of the soil, they are not prone to soil-borne bacterial disease. Fish in aquaponic systems are also less susceptible to pathogens that are common to aquaculture systems. Reduced ecological footprint for crop production. Disadvantages of Aquaponics
Cost –per unit area, it is more expensive than other forms of farming (but remember, being more intensive, what is spent on equipment is to a greater or lesser degree, saved on reduced property costs) Technologically Complex –requires more expertise to run properly than traditional farming. You may need to spend more training staff or on consultants and technical services (eg. water analysis, advice on plant and animal health problems. You are on the one hand taking greater control over the growth of plants and animals, but because you are taking that control away from nature, you are removing buffers that nature may normally have in place for dealing with problems. Potentially an aquaponics system is more productive than a natural system, but it is also susceptible to greater risks. If operated on a large scale it may lead to depletion of some natural resources that are required to run the system. Feed for fish or crayfish is made from less valuable animal products. Over use of natural resources can be a problem, and may end up leading to an increased cost for those feeds. The world may simply not be geared to rapid expansion of aquaculture. It may become necessary for larger scale aquaculture farmers to grow their own feed for fish or crayfish (eg. vermiculture) The options for configuring a system are very diverse. As with many new ideas, all sorts of people can be attracted to aquaponics, for all sorts of reasons, and despite their passion, they are not always balanced in their understanding of the industry. Because it is relatively new, sound tried and proven technologies do dot yet exist; and the level of research underpinning the industry is as yet nowhere near as sound as what might be found in other areas of farming. Aquaponics is really "smart farming".
If you are up for it, you do need to prepare well, and become properly informed before risking a considerable investment in money and time.
This course is a greatr starting point.
