Complementary Nutrients in Decoupled Aquaponics Enhance Basil Performance

Aquaponics combines raising fish and growing plants by recycling water and nutrients to reduce water consumption and reliance on chemical fertilizers. Coupled aquaponics systems recirculate water between fish and plant crops, whereas decoupled systems send mineralized fish effluent and wastewater unidirectionally to an independent hydroponic loop. Decoupling enables changes to the water, such as pH adjustments and complementary nutrient additions, to promote plant performance. In this study, basil, Ocimum basilicum (L.), was transplanted into 4 L containers filled with decoupled aquaponic (DAP), nutrient-complemented decoupled aquaponic (DAP+), or chemical-based conventional hydroponic (CON) nutrient solutions and grown for 21 days at pH 5.8. Plants grown in DAP+ and CON had greater biomass, height, and Soil Plant Analysis Development (SPAD) chlorophyll index and lower root:shoot biomass ratios than those in DAP. Shoot fresh and dry biomass was 11% greater for CON than DAP+, while height, SPAD chlorophyll index, and root:shoot ratio did not differ. We concluded that added nutrients in DAP+ enhanced performance compared to DAP, and the biologically derived nutrition in DAP+ enhanced performance to be similar, but not equal, to CON. We cannot recommend specific adjustments to the targeted blend of complementary nutrients tested, but findings suggest that complementary nutrients are effective in decoupled aquaponics.

Automated summary

Aquaponics is an innovative method that combines fish farming and plant cultivation to reduce water consumption and reliance on chemical fertilizers. This study found that adding nutrients in a decoupled aquaponic system enhanced plant performance, making it comparable to a conventional hydroponic system that uses chemical-based nutrients.