Aquaponics shortcourse at the University of Arizona Kevin

Aquaponics short-course at the University of Arizona Kevin Fitzsimmons, Jason Licamele, Eric Highfield University of Arizona 6 April 2011

Trends in food markets F Demand for more locally grown, organic foods F Increasing demand for vegetables and fish for health reasons F Need to increase economic and environmental efficiency (energy, water, land area, recycling of nutrients)

Global food crisis Rapidly increasing population F Diversion of foods to bio-fuels F Increased costs for water, fertilizer, fuel F Multiple demands for farmland (urban sprawl, industrial and mining, solar and wind generation, wildlife conservation, watershed protection, global warming, etc. ) F Demand for locally produced food F

Need new model for food production F Green Revolution – huge increase in food production, but heavy reliance on irrigation, fuel and fertilizer. F Blue Revolution – almost 50% of seafood is farm raised, but many environmental impacts (effluents causing eutrophication, algae blooms, cage and raft conflicts with other users in oceans, bays and lakes)

Development of hydroponics and aquaculture F Fast growing sectors of global food production F Hydroponics is more efficient use of water and nutrients, controls the environment and reduces use of pesticides and herbicides. F Aquaculture is more efficient production of domesticated aquatic animals and plants.

Past Projects F The Land – Disney World, Florida F Biosphere 2 – Tucson, Arizona F High school education F Commercialization

Disney World – EPCOT – The Land F University of Arizona provided technical design, layout, and training of staff. F Selected hydroponics and aquaculture as two critical food production systems for the future.

Disney World – EPCOT – The Land F 30, 000 guests a day learn about hydroponics, aquaculture, tilapia, and advanced farming techniques F Products are served in the Good Turn Restaurant

Development trials for Biosphere 2 F Biosphere 2 – A one hectare greenhouse. Completely sealed, with eight people living inside for two years.

Early trials for Biosphere 2 University of Arizona provided overall technical support and designed the food system. F Intensive food production F Healthy foods with minimal need for external inputs F Replicated trials with tilapia and lettuce F

Various growing techniques F Growing in gravel/biofilter F Growing boards in floating

Density and micronutrient trials F Low density of fish F High density of fish

Nutrient film technique F Growing in troughs/gutters with flowing water

Nutrient film technique F Flood and drain version in troughs/gutters

Fish and grain crops Tilapia and barley Nutrient dynamics in recirc Determined that integrated fish and irrigated crops were most efficient food production system for Biosphere 2

Educational systems in high schools Fish instead of traditional farm animals Hydroponic vegetables and ornamental flowers

Water chemistry F p. H F Conductivity F Dissolved solids F Suspended solids F Oxygen

Carbon Cycle digestion and respiration + 3 O 2 C 6 H 12 O 6 sugars and other organics anaerobes and methanogens Photosynthesis 6 H 2 O + 6 CO 2 water and carbon dioxide CH 4 + COx C 6 H 12 O 6 + 3 O 2 sugars and other organics and oxygen

Carbonate Cycle CO 2 + H 2 O H 2 CO 3 H+ + HCO 3 - carbon dioxide dissolved in water carbonic acid bicarbonate ion H+ + CO 32 carbonate ion

Carbonate cycle

Nitrogen Cycle F Ammonia F Nitrite F Nitrate F De-nitrification

Nitrogen cycle in aquatic systems

Nitrogen cycle F Nitrogen is often a limiting element in freshwater aquatic system F Adding nitrogen will cause rapid increase in primary productivity F Nitrogen in anaerobic sediments - denitrification (reduction to NH 3 or N 2 gas)

UAAQ CEAC Nitrogen Mass Flow F Nitrogen Mass Flow – Introduced via feed – Input: 108 g nitrogen / day F Oxygen – Consumption u u u Fish Plant root zone Plant respiration – Generation u u Plant photosynthesis Microalgae / Phytoplankton photosynthesis

Phosphorus cycle Phosphorus and orthophosphate. Organic P decomposes and releases PO 4, taken up by algae and plants or adsorbs to clay particles and precipitates. Anaerobic conditions can rerelease P to water. Wetland Ecosystem Management

Tilapia and other fish F Oreochromis species F Catfish F Koi F Yellow perch and bluegills F Sturgeon and ornamental fish

Fish feed as nutrient sources F Fish feed is the basic input for nutrients to fish and plants F Protein is source of nitrogen for plants F Phosphorus and potassium from fishmeal, bone meal, or feather meal F Micronutrients from vitamin and mineral premixes in fish feed

UAAQ CEAC Aquaponic Inputs F Inputs: – Water – Star Milling Co. u 1/8” Floating Tilapia Feed – Dolomite 65 Ag u u Ca. CO 3 46. 0% Mg. CO 3 38. 5% Ca 22. 7% Mg 11. 8% – Biomins u u u Biomin Fe+ (5%) Biomin Mn+ (5%) Biomin Zn+ (7%) – Nutrient Content Analysis Crude Protein 35% Crude Fat 5% % N 5. 97 Crude Fiber 3. 5% % P 1. 53 Ash 9% % K 1. 46 % Ca 1. 61 % Mg 0. 26 % Na 0. 24 % S 0. 46 mg/L Cu 15 mg/L Zn 143 mg/L Mn 93 mg/L Fe 461 mg/L B 18 FISH FEED

Organic micronutrients • Biomins u Biomin Fe+ (5%) u Biomin Mn+ (5%) u Biomin Zn+ (7%) u Biomin Calcium is created using an encapsulation (chelating) of the mineral calcium with glycine and natural organic acids. u Biomin Z. I. M is a true amino acid chelated multimineral. The chelating agent is mainly glycine, the smallest amino acid commonly used by and found in plants.

System design F For fish – tanks vs raceways F For plants – variety F Gravel and sand beds F Floating rafts F Gutters and trays

Tilapia and lettuce

Lettuce Plant F Lettuce (Lactuca sativa) – Butterhead variety – Quick turnover u 5 weeks – Cultivars Rex u Tom Thumb u

Varieties of Romaine and Bibb

Data collection and analysis Light measurements (PAR) Computer monitoring

Nutrient Balance F Nutrient Balance – Feed u u u 32% Protein 2 -4% System Biomass FCR 2: 1 – Filtration u u Clarifier Nitrification – Hydroponics u u Nutrient uptake Water Chemistry N, TAN, NH 4, NO 2, NO 3, K, P, Ca, Fe, p. H, alkalinity, T, EC

Aquaponic Inputs F Inputs: – Water – Fish Food u Star Milling Co. u 1/8” Floating Tilapia Feed – Dolomite 65 Ag u u Ca. CO 3 46. 0% Mg. CO 3 38. 5% Ca 22. 7% Mg 11. 8% – Biomins u u u Biomin Fe+ (5%) Biomin Mn+ (5%) Biomin Zn+ (7%) – Nutrient Content Analysis Crude Protein 32% Crude Fat 5% % N 5. 97 Crude Fiber 3. 5% % P 1. 53 % K 1. 46 % Ca 1. 61 % Mg 0. 26 % Na 0. 24 % S 0. 46 Ash 9% FISH FEED mg/L Cu 15 mg/L Zn 143 mg/L Mn 93 mg/L Fe 461 mg/L B 18

p. H & Oxygen F p. H Range Tilapia 6. 5 -9 – Fish = 6. 5 – 8. 5 – Plant = 5. 0 – 7. 5 F Diurnal p. H Flux – Reduce shifts to stabilize p. H u u Shifts can inhibit organism's physiology thus reducing growth Acidic p. H can effect solubility of Fertilizers – Alkalinity u u F Optimal: 75 -150 mg/L Stabilizes p. H ; provides nutrients for growth Dissolved Oxygen – > 4 mg/l (ppm)

UAAQ CEAC Methodology F Data Collection – Fish : Lettuce u u Fish FCR Fish Biomass (1 kg) Plant Wet/Dry Weight Plant Height/Diameter – Lettuce quality u u Apogee CCM-200 Chlorophyll Concentration Index (CCI) – Relative chlorophyll value – Compare a cultivar of lettuce growing in different systems

UAAQ CEAC Biomass Density F CEAC GH#3118 – Tilapia Density u u 0. 04 – 0. 06 kg/L 2% Biomass / day 1. 6 – 1. 8 kg feed / day Harvest weight 1 kg – Lettuce u u u 32 plants / m 2 6” off center Harvest head wet weight 150 -200 grams

UAAQ CEAC Water Chemistry F Nutrient Deficiency Succession – [ Fe+, Mn+, Mo+] < – [Ca+, Mg+]< – [Zn+] F Hydroponic Water Parameters – – p. H 6. 5 -6. 7 EC 1. 5 – 2. 0 DO 4 -7 mg/L T = 23 -25 o. C CEAC Lettuce GH#3118 Target NITROGEN Ammonia NH 3 -N 0 0 Nitrate NO 3 -N 180 50 Boron (B) 0. 35 <1 Calcium (Ca) 200 60 Copper (Cu) 0. 05 <0. 05 Iron (Fe) 2. 4 2 Magnesium (Mg) 40 20 Manganese (Mn) 0. 55 0. 5 Molybdenum (Mo) 0. 05 PO 4 -P 50 50 Potassium (K) 198 150 Sulfate (SO 4)-S 52 20< >100 0. 34 0. 3 Water Chemistry (mg/L) Zinc (Zn)

Data and video live on Internet http: //ag. arizona. edu/tomlive/gh 3118_idx. html

UAAQ CEAC Environmental Data F Set Points: – Hydroponic Treatment u u u Exp. 1 Exp. 2 Exp. 3 Day Tair = 20 - 22 o. C Night Tair = 16 - 18 o. C TH 2 O = 23 - 25 o. C p. H = 6. 5 - 6. 8 DO = 4 - 7 mg/L UAAQ 2009 Water Parameters Exp. 1 Mean Water Temperature p. H 24. 29 o. C 6. 75 Dissolved Oxygen 5. 89 mg/L Electrical Conductivity 0. 97 d. S/cm UAAQ 2009 Water Parameters Exp. 2 Mean Water Temperature p. H 24. 22 o. C 6. 73 UAAQ 2009 Environmental Data Exp. 2 1 Mean Daily PAR 19. 33 16. 60 moles/m 22 Total PAR Exp. 2 924. 00 829. 82 moles/m 22 Mean Night TTaa 17. 14 17. 09 o. C Mean Day TTaa 21. 56 21. 19 o. C Dissolved Oxygen 6. 74 mg/L Daily Mean TTaa 19. 35 19. 14 oo. C Electrical Conductivity 0. 93 d. S/cm Daily Mean RH% 60. 85% 59. 47%

UAAQ CEAC Nitrogen Mass Flow F Fish Feed – % N = 5. 97 u u F 1800 grams/day 107 grams nitrogen/day Sludge – N = 3. 38% per g dry weight u u F 5 Liters day produced Collect dry weight / day Fish – 27% nitrogen retention F Lettuce – Samples to be analyzed F Water – 40 -60 mg/L Nitrate Exp. 1 Exp. 2 Exp. 3

UAAQ CEAC Water Chemistry F Macronutrients – – Accumulation reaching steady state Calcium and magnesium supplementation u F Experiments 2 -8 Exp. 1 Exp. 2 Exp. 3 Micronutrients – Biomin Iron supplementation u – Biomin Zinc supplementation u – Experiment s 4 -8 Experiments 5 -8 Biomin Manganese supplementation u Experiments 6 -8 Exp. 1 Exp. 2 Exp. 3

UAAQ Exp. 2 Aquaponics vs. Hydroponics F Hydroponic Solution – Nitrogen uptake – Experiment 2 Data u 40 -60 mg/L NO 3 -N u 10 -20 mg/L P u 100+ mg/L K

Arizona Aquaculture Website ag. arizona. edu/azaqua

What’s needed next? F Investment in production and more research F Best technologies of ag and aquaculture F Limited governmental regulation F Trained production staff and semi-skilled farming staff